ST. LOUIS – A man was fatally shot in downtown St. Louis early Monday morning on the riverfront near the arch, and the suspect still has not been found.
Police confirmed a man was fatally shot around 4:30 a.m. near North Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. The man, not yet identified, suffered a gunshot wound to the side and was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
This all unfolded on Memorial Day, a time of remembrance for those who serve, but also the unofficial kickoff to the summer, which means peak tourism season in St. Louis.
“We went to a game, we ate downtown, played ball under the arch, it’s great stuff,” said Chard Remy, a tourist. “It’s unfortunate, very disappointing to hear about that thing.”
Just feet away from the murder scene, tourists went to a Cardinal’s game, visited the arch, or took boat tours undeterred by the violence.
“I’ve always found it to be very safe and had that experience again today,” said Jay Byers, a tourist. “But we need to continue to step up our efforts to address crime.”
A recent uptick in crime downtown, specifically gun violence, continues to be a top concern.
On Tuesday, the new St. Louis Circuit Attorney, Gabe Gore, will be sworn in to replace Kim Gardner.
Advocates hope that this new chapter will bring a harder stance on crime.
“Crime happens everywhere, but…something definitely needs to be done,” said Cameron Skiles, a St. Louis resident. “I think that with Kim Gardner resigning, hopefully, we’ll have some more prosecutors in there. I heard it was a toxic work environment, and they had a heavy caseload.”
“It makes St. Louis lose a lot of money because nobody wants to come because it’s unsafe,” said Felicia Baines, a Ferguson resident. “They’re scared because there are residents that live here that are scared. I hate that for us.”
Just over the weekend, stray bullets struck Baines’s house.
The violence extends beyond the city into the county and parts of the region.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating Monday’s murder. They ask anyone with information to contact them or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).