A man is in critical condition following a shooting incident in St. Louis' The Ville neighborhood, local authorities reported. The incident took place around 9:15 a.m. yesterday, when officers from District 5 responded to a call in the 2400 block of Whittier, where they found a 43-year-old man with gunshot wounds, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

The investigation, still at a preliminary stage, revealed that the victim had just left a convenience store at the intersection of North Sarah & Maffitt and shortly after an altercation erupted between him and another unidentified individual, it led to a gunfire exchange and then both parties fled the scene, leaving questions hanging and a man's life in the balance as the search for the suspect continues. The injured man was subsequently rushed to a hospital by EMS and remains unconscious and in critical condition, per police reports.

As efforts to uncover the sequence of events and apprehend the suspect intensify, the police have not yet released a description of the other individual involved in the shooting. The community’s aid is encouraged by the authorities, with CrimeStoppers offering a potential reward for tips that can lead to a breakthrough in the case. They urge anyone with information to come forward and promise anonymity to those who are concerned for their safety.

As of now, the police are asking the public to provide any helpful information related to the incident; people are prompted to contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477) where they can share tips anonymously and might be eligible for a financial reward if their information proves pivotal to the police's ongoing investigation.