Neighbors say a south St. Louis smoke shop that was condemned after an April 19 shootout has never really gone quiet. The corner store at Jefferson and Arsenal is boarded up and the front door is locked, but residents report lights glowing inside and people slipping in and out at odd hours. For folks who live nearby, it all adds up to lingering frustration and fresh worries about public safety.
Police say two people were shot inside and outside the Furr Smoke Shop on April 19, and a search that followed turned up what authorities described as a large stash of contraband. According to First Alert 4, officers seized three pounds of suspected marijuana, THC-laced chocolate, psychedelic mushrooms, an AR-15 with an extended magazine and about $10,000 in cash, and the city moved to condemn the building. Detectives are still investigating the shooting and have not announced any arrests, First Alert 4 reports.
Neighbors Say Visitors Keep Coming
Even with boards on the front, neighbors say the shop has not exactly gone dark. Residents shared videos with FOX2 that they say show a steady trickle of people heading to the storefront and slipping in through an unboarded side door. “The board won't stay up,” one neighbor told FOX2, adding that the shop's glowing "open" sign continues to pull in visitors late into the evening. Residents say they have repeatedly called the owner but have not received any answers.
Officials Say The City Moved Quickly
The St. Louis Department of Public Safety said the move to shut the business down was not subtle. The department described the order as an “emergency condemnation with no right to appeal,” according to comments it provided to FOX2. Police also told FOX2 they have been monitoring the property and will keep replacing the boards when they are torn down, according to the station's report.
Legal Context
The seizure and condemnation are unfolding against the backdrop of a statewide crackdown on unlicensed cannabis sellers. The Missouri Attorney General's Office says it sent 33 cease-and-desist letters in March to unlicensed dispensaries, including one listed as “Furr Dispensary” in the St. Louis region, citing unsafe, adulterated products and violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The Attorney General's office released the list and said it would pursue enforcement.
Neighbors and officials say the episode has raised uncomfortable questions about how fast problem properties can be shut down and what happens when boards keep getting pulled off. Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting or ongoing activity at the site to call the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department at 314-444-2500 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS, according to First Alert 4.
