ST. LOUIS — Four days into the year, St. Louis has recorded its first homicide of 2021.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to a shooting call at 11:10 a.m. in the 3800 block of Ashland. A man was found shot in the abdomen.
He was conscious and breathing when rushed to the hospital but died there a short time later, police said.
A homicide investigation is underway.
On Tuesday, police identified the victim as 22-year-old Demont Coleman of St. Louis.
Anyone with information should contact SLMPD's homicide division at 314-444-5371 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
In 2020, St. Louis had 262 homicides, which measures out to 85 homicides per 100,000 residents. That's the highest homicide rate in the city's recorded history, according to data from St. Louis police.
Only 1997 had a higher recorded number of homicides — 267 — but there were nearly 80,000 more people living in the city at the time, making the homicide rate 69 out of every 100,000 people.
A man was also found shot to death in a car Friday night in Ferguson. He is believed to be the first murder of the year for St. Louis County.