A man was shot and critically injured late last night in the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis, as per local authorities. The shooting, which police responded to around 10 p.m., took place in an alley located on the 500 block of Bates, where they discovered a 32-year-old male with multiple gunshot wounds on the ground.

Due to the severity of his injuries, the victim was unable to provide police with a statement and was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was reported to be in critical, but stable condition. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department noted, suspected narcotics were also found at the scene prompting further investigation into what might have been the circumstances leading up to the shootout.

While details surrounding the incident are limited, initial findings suggest that the victim may have been engaged in a dispute with an unidentified male suspect who, after the argument escalated, fired the shots that wounded the 32-year-old man. No information regarding the suspect has been released at this time.

The investigation is currently underway, and law enforcement is asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. This is yet another violent episode that punctuates the ongoing struggle against gun violence and illegal drug activity in St. Louis communities. Authorities have not commented on whether this latest shooting is connected to any wider criminal activity within the area.