ST. LOUIS — A man has died months after a suspect and an off-duty Northwoods officer exchanged gunfire in the city's St. Louis Place neighborhood.
The shooting happened at around 11:19 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2021 at St. Louis Avenue and 19th Street. St. Louis Police Lt. Matthew Karnowski said there was a disturbance outside The Other Place Bar.
The officer, a 30-year-old man with 9 years of law enforcement experience, was working a second job when the shooting occurred, St. Louis police said. He was off-duty but wearing a baseball cap with the word "POLICE" in bold lettering, as well as a jacket with "POLICE" on the front and back.
The officer saw the 25-year-old suspect arguing with an elderly woman near a car. During the argument, the man pulled a gun out from the car and walked up to a crowd of people. The officer confronted the man, who then fired in the direction of the officer and several bystanders. A 52-year-old man was struck and the officer returned fire, shooting the suspect. The officer was not injured.
First responders arrived at the scene and rushed the victim to the hospital, where he was listed in critical, unstable condition. The man died from his injuries several months later on Feb. 3, 2022. He was identified as Richard Young.
The 25-year-old suspect left the scene and later arrived at an area hospital on his own. He was listed in critical, stable condition.
Police recovered the suspect's gun.
The department's Force Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate.
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 between and 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/