ST. LOUIS — St. Louis police are investigating an early morning shooting near Sweet Timez bar on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive on Friday that killed a man and sent three other men to the hospital.
All of the victims are between 40 and 50 years old.
The members at Williams Temple Church of God in Christ said this shooting happened only a matter of hours after their late service.
Their church was damaged and they’re worried about their safety during yet another service they’re scheduled to have Friday night.
“This is what we walked into a bullet hole, shattered door, crime scene tape and we heard what happened. So it is a major concern that we are on the corner, we serve the community, we donate and we help and we give. We do a lot of service to this community and then for this to happen,” Williams Temple COGIC staff member Kim said.
Just across the street at the community center, homeless people and children participating in their free lunch program had to step over bloody footprints and the crime scene left behind after an early morning shooting at Sweet Timez bar next door.
“It's very scary when you try and go about your normal day, go to work, pay your bills, live, worship God and you feel some type of way to get to these places,” Kim said.
Police were called to the scene around 3 a.m. Friday and found a 40-year-old man dead inside Sweet Timez bar and three other men were taken to the hospital after shots rang out.
“What we understand is there was some type of altercation inside the bar that ended up spilling outside, where the fight continued outside between patrons. At that point multiple shots were fired,” St. Louis Police Homicide Unit Lt. Commander Jesse Harris said.
Police sources told 5 On Your Side witnesses claim there were more than 100 people inside the bar when the shooting happened.
“It's possible that other people could turn up that have been shot as a result of what happened at this location,” Harris said.
The church says they need things to change so the most vulnerable can feel safe again.
“Something I don't know what it is. Something has to be done. Crime in St. Louis is at an all-time high in daylight, afternoon, late at night, midnight, it is just at an all-time high,” Kim said.
Police sources tell 5 On Your Side they found liquor inside the business but did not see any liquor or business license connected to Sweet Timez.