ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is working to get to the bottom of a shootout that was caught on camera in the city's Soulard neighborhood. And neighbors are reacting as officers continue their search for two cars involved in the rolling gun battle.
Multiple gunshots rang out just after 6 p.m. Tuesday while it was still daylight outside. Neighbors said they heard the gunfire, but some of them mistook them as fireworks.
An officer on patrol in the area was able to act quickly. They were able to get additional officers on the scene. Neighbors watched from their doorsteps.
Some Soulard neighbors shared videos on social media moments later. One woman captured the crime as she looked out her window near South 7th Street and Russell Avenue.
Police found numerous shell casings blocks away at South 9th Street and Anne Avenue.
"What? During the daylight? Oh my goodness,” neighbor Laura Harford said as she walked in the area.
A day later, neighbors sounded off because they frequent the area during the evening.
"It's broad daylight. (It) makes me worry about walking my dog over here,” said a man who asked not to be identified.
Police are trying to figure out what caused people to fire shots from two different cars throughout Soulard. Neighbors said they saw one car chasing another after the first set of gunshots, followed by another round. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
But people who live in the area are stunned because everyone just wants to be safe.
"We kinda just keep to the places that we know are safe, but right now we’re walking through here, so I'm not so sure,” Harford said.
"It's just sad because I love Soulard and I want it to be safe. And stuff like that doesn't make me the most comfortable,” neighbor Chloe Sander said.
Neighbors are urging each other to check their security cameras to see if there's more footage that could help police crack the case.
Police asked anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).