ST. LOUIS — An investigation is underway after two men were injured in a shooting outside a nightclub in downtown St. Louis early Wednesday morning.
At around 1:17 a.m., St. Louis police received multiple calls for “disturbances” in the 1100 block of Washington Avenue and the area around Reign Restaurant.
When officers arrived, they saw about 100 people standing in the street outside of the club blocking Washington Avenue. As officers began to disburse the crowd, they heard several gunshots from 11th and St. Charles streets, according to a police report.
Police said a 24-year-old man and 26-year-old man had been shot in their lower bodies. Both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment. Police didn’t give an update on their conditions but said their vitals were stable.
Investigators said a woman, who was previously escorted from the club by security, returned with her boyfriend who began arguing with security. During the argument, her boyfriend fired shots toward the back of the club, hitting the two victims, police said. The couple then left the area.
One of the victims who was shot told police at the scene that he was hired to help with security at Reign.
After the shooting, 5 On Your Side spoke with Dana Kelly, the owner of Reign Restaurant. She said she wants something to be done about the crime downtown.
“Get more security on all the parking lots downtown,” Kelly said. “To me, it would make sense that there are more city police officers down here.”
Reign has been on the radar of St. Louis police and city officials since it opened last year, including for a shooting last December and a forced closure over COVID-19 health code violations that same month.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/