A fatal shooting on Monday evening has left one person dead and another injured near the Saint Louis University campus, prompting an investigation by local authorities. The incident, which took place around 7 p.m. in the 3800 block of Laclede Avenue, occurred following an altercation in a parking lot shared by food outlets, including Papa John's and Jimmy John's, as reported by KSDK.
According to details released by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the confrontation escalated into gunfire, leaving one male victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, found lifeless on the scene. Running from the field where he was playing an intramural football game, a student named Jack Geysen told FOX 2, “We didn’t know what it was at first, and we heard a bunch of (shots) go off. We laid on the fields and a lot of us took off running.” Another individual, injured in the shooting, sought treatment at a local hospital; both victims are said to be males aged between 16 and 20 years old.
While the investigation is still ongoing, authorities have stated there's no indication the event had any connection to the university or its students. Despite the proximity to academic facilities, Major Janice Bockstruck of the SLMPD reassured the public in a statement obtained by FOX 2 stating, “We will continue this investigation, but there is no indication that this argument that escalated into shooting had anything to do with the SLU campus.” She continued, “We do not believe, at this time, that the campus in any danger.”
Following the incident, Saint Louis University's Department of Public Safety alerted via social media of a substantial police presence near The Village Apartments, an alert that has since been cleared. As the city grapples with the ripple effects of this violence, more details are awaited, with no further information being provided about the incident or the suspects involved, as mentioned by First Alert 4.
