A Friday afternoon shooting on the 1300 block of Belt in St. Louis left a 21-year-old man fighting for his life and two men in handcuffs, according to police. District 5 officers were called around 1 p.m., found the wounded man on the block, and had him taken to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Homicide detectives have been assigned to the case.
According to First Alert 4, officers saw two men running from the area and arrested them a short time later. Court records identify the suspects as 20-year-old Cornelious Coleman and 21-year-old Amorion Bland, with one count each of armed criminal action and first-degree assault or attempt. A probable-cause statement cited by the outlet says a witness told police the victim warned her to run when he saw the two men, and that the suspects then opened fire, hitting the victim in the head.
Charges and legal exposure
Under the Revised Statutes of Missouri, armed criminal action applies when a felony is committed "by, with, or through the use" of a deadly weapon and carries a consecutive prison term that starts at a minimum of three years. RSMo §571.015 lays out the armed criminal action penalties. Assault in the first degree, defined at RSMo §565.050, covers attempts to kill or knowingly causing serious physical injury and can be prosecuted as a Class B felony or, where serious injury is alleged, a Class A felony.
St. Louis context
The shooting lands in a city still wrestling with gun violence even as some recent numbers show killings trending down. Data reported by the Belleville News-Democrat show the St. Louis area recorded 139 homicides in 2025, the lowest total since 2005. Community leaders and public-safety officials, though, say the region is not out of the woods and that long-term prevention and enforcement work remains essential. Homicide detectives will present their findings to the Circuit Attorney’s Office as the case moves toward possible prosecution.
What happens next
Detectives are still piecing together what led up to the shooting, and court records show Coleman and Bland have been charged. Prosecutors will make decisions on how the case is formally filed as it proceeds. This story will be updated as police or court documents provide more details on the victim’s condition, arraignment dates, or bond.
