ST. LOUIS — A man was killed and three others were wounded by gunfire during a Saturday night shooting in St. Louis, a written report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said.
On Monday, police said the suspects are believed to be four unknown men.
The man killed was 19-year-old Eddie Randle Jr., a resident of St. Louis' Hamilton Heights neighborhood, the report said. The victims who survived their gunshot wounds were another 19-year-old man, an 18-year-old woman and an unknown woman.
According to police, the shooting happened in the 3000 block of Olive Street, in St. Louis' Midtown neighborhood. That places the shooting near SLU's Il Monastero Banquet Hall on the university's north campus. SLU confirmed to 5 On Your Side that no one from the university was involved in the shooting.
Multiple gunshots rang out over a large crowd of people in that area minutes before midnight. One business manager in that area told 5 On Your Side there were about 200 young people gathered in a parking lot late Saturday night, which ended in gunfire.
Randle and another victim, the second 19-year-old man, were taken to a hospital in a car that was also struck by gunfire, the report said.
"(Randle) was pronounced deceased and Victim 2 was listed in stable condition," the SLMPD report said.
The 18-year-old woman was grazed by gunfire and refused medical treatment. The fourth victim, an unknown woman, was also taken to a hospital in a car, the report said. She was treated for a minor gunshot wound and left the hospital without speaking to investigators.
Sharon Williams with the Missouri Chapter of Moms Demand Action was saddened to hear about the May 18 deadly shooting, the most recent example of continued teen violence in St. Louis City and County.
"I'm also shocked," at the repeated killings Williams said, especially after losing her son in June 2008, who was shot 14 times in the Mark Twain neighborhood.
Williams said she is frustrated by how many people who are not even 20 years old yet have access to guns.
"My own grandson is getting ready to graduate from high school," Williams said. "That these young people, some of them aren't going to make it to graduation. That's sad because their lives are being cut short at an alarming rate and we don't seem to have the answer to keep that from happening."
It's the kind of teen violence we saw last year on Father's Day during a large party. Unfortunately, 17-year-old Makao Moore was killed while 11 other people were injured after suspected multiple shooters opened fire in an office workspace on Washington Avenue.
When considering Saturday's incident, "more parents aren't really knowing where their children are at that time of the evening," Williams said. "They need to have a safe place where they can enjoy themselves. But we find that even with the incident that happened last year, more than likely kids themselves set that up where they were partying."
Erin Pohl, Director of Development for the Crime Victim Center and the City's Director of Violence Prevention agree with finding a safe location.
Pohl said, "It gets harder especially in the summertime, there aren’t a lot of places for youth, especially in later hours of the night."
Pickney explained their office is working on a specific age group, 15-17-year-olds, to assist them.
"There isn’t much to do for them, many of our youth serving organizations don’t focus on that age group, so we are trying to focus on that group," Pickney added.
Pohl explained the Crime Victim Center has been in the community for 52 years. Their work is paramount, especially after the pandemic's impact on children and teens.
Pohl said the violence seen has ripple effects beyond the victims, impacting the neighborhood and businesses too.
"We hope people know we are here, our counselors and advocates are all here to support the healing. You are not expected to heal your own traumas on your own, it takes a village and we are here to be a part of that village," Pohl added.
Pickney acknowledged the City is continuously working to address the violence.
"It means that we need to double down," Pickney said.
Pickney explained every third Saturday of the month there is a Kickback event in priority neighborhoods.
City residents can enjoy free food, music, entertainment, arts and crafts, and have access to free gun safety resources and information about secure gun storage.
The next one is June 15 from 2-6 p.m.
Pickney said more is being done this year too.
"This year we are putting out $3.6 million in ARPA funds, we’ve contracted with 13 organizations that work will be rolling out in a couple of months and focused on youths of all ages," he shared.
The money has already been going out and will be distributed until September 2026. Some of the efforts will go to after school programs and job placements for teens.
The office plans to launch a youth assessment center this summer, as well.
"We started doing more youth events around the city and we will continue with those, we are looking at extending hours at the rec centers again, it's a mixture of what we did last summer and additional things this summer," Pickney added.
As for the shooting Saturday night, police said the Homicide Division responded and assumed the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371, or anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous and is interested in a reward can contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
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 with 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/