A late-night homecoming after-party in Gravois Park that turned into a deadly robbery has now ended with a conviction. On Friday, a St. Louis jury found 21-year-old Azavian Royal guilty of second-degree murder and a slate of related felonies in the shooting death of a 17-year-old at a short-term rental, moving the case toward a July sentencing date.
Jurors convicted Royal of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault and four counts of armed criminal action, according to First Alert 4. Prosecutors told jurors that around 3:20 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2023, police were called to an Airbnb on South Compton Avenue, where witnesses said Royal and three co-defendants showed up armed, announced a robbery, grabbed a backpack and opened fire. One teenager was killed and a 16-year-old suffered a graze wound. The outlet also reports that co-defendant Orlando Bernard pleaded guilty on April 17 and received a 19-year prison sentence.
Roughly 10 days after the shooting, St. Ann and Bridgeton officers arrested Royal following a foot chase, and investigators say a handgun discarded during that pursuit matched ballistic evidence from the scene, per First Alert 4. “This case shows how quickly gun violence can turn a gathering into a tragedy,” Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said in a statement. Royal is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on July 8.
A local pattern
Violence at teen gatherings and short-term rentals has repeatedly rattled South City neighborhoods, and local tracking shows that young people are often among the victims. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch homicide tracker documents numerous shooting victims in recent years, placing this killing within a broader pattern of youth-involved shootings. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has made violent-crime prosecutions a regular feature of its public updates as it pursues related cases.
What happens next
On July 8, a judge will determine Royal’s prison term. Prosecutors have said they will seek a substantial sentence, arguing the crime grew out of an armed robbery that turned deadly. With Bernard already serving a 19-year sentence after his April plea, the remaining question for the court is how long Royal will be required to serve for his role in the homecoming-party shooting.
