ST. LOUIS — St. Louis City leaders are addressing a fight-turned deadly shooting that happened over the weekend at Market Street and 10th just two blocks from Busch Stadium.
As of Monday evening, the man who was killed has not been identified and only one woman has been arrested following the incident after police said she assaulted an officer.
“This is heartbreaking on so many levels,” Ward 8 Alderwoman Cara Spencer said.
Around 2:30 in the morning on Sunday, St. Louis Police say a fight broke out between several women near City Garden at 10th and Market streets. At some point, several men got involved and started shooting, killing one man in his mid-20s and injuring five other people.
“The victims and some of the suspects, as a few of them were from the city, but they also came from St. Louis County and St. Charles County. So people are bringing guns into our city and wreaking havoc in our downtown,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said his office is ready to prosecute the suspects immediately.
“We do have the tools to do that and we're prepared to do that in this case. Once the investigation is complete, and an application for charges is made,” Gore said.
Jones said the city and metro area as a whole has already committed to reducing homicides by 20 percent over the next three years in the Save Lives Now initiative, but it's not enough. She said the state legislature needs to step up.
“The blood is on the state's hands, they need to make a change in state law to allow us to either make our own laws, or they need to consider the safety of all Missourians,” Jones said.
This happened in Alderwoman Spencer's ward, she said a law that recently went into effect prohibiting people from openly carrying or displaying guns unless they have a concealed carry permit is part of the solution but cracking down on unauthorized gathering at parks could be another tool.
“Our police department, it is my understanding, did clear the area about two hours prior to this and keeping those areas clear of unsanctioned unorganized gatherings is important to the public safety of all of us,” Spencer said.
Gore said while this is tragic it doesn't show the whole picture.
“I don't think that something happening at 2:30 am among a group of people who have chosen to congregate illegally, in a city park at that hour, is indicative of public safety in downtown,” Gore said.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 1-866 371-TIPS.