Tragedy strikes as a 39-year-old St. Louis man succumbs to gunshot wounds from a January incident, with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Division now spearheading the investigation post-mortem. Vernell Walker, who had been fighting for his life since the shooting at a Conoco Gas Station on South Broadway, passed away on April 21, as confirmed by the Medical Examiner's Office. The same office has recently declared Walker's death a homicide, according to the SLMPD.
The unfortunate series of events began early on January 13, when police were dispatched to the gas station shortly before 8:50 a.m. Following their arrival, they discovered Walker, gravely injured by gunshots. Despite being transported to the hospital in critical but stable condition, his battle ended months later. Video evidence from the scene implicated a white pickup truck, leading law enforcement to apprehend a 59-year-old male suspect at a different gas station after he dismounted the suspect vehicle, walking away nonchalantly.
Further investigation resulted in the release of two other individuals who were initially detained with the suspect, pinpointing the 59-year-old as the shooter. Authorities presented the case to the Circuit Attorney's Office, resulting in a slew of charges against the alleged gunman, including first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a defaced firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Details of the incident, including the charges and the identification of the victim, were meticulously outlined in the SLMPD release.
