ST. LOUIS — A man was charged with murder after a triple shooting Sunday night.
Police are ruling the shooting a homicide. One person died, two others were injured, according to police.
It happened just before 10 p.m. Sunday near North Broadway and East Taylor Avenue. Officers responded to a report of a shooting and arrived to find a victim lying in the street with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified Tuesday as Kevin Payne Jr. He was 19 years old.
A teenage boy and man in his 30s were found with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. They were both taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. The man was listed in critical condition and his vital signs were unstable, according to a Monday morning police report. The teen also was in critical condition; his vitals were stable.
A 24-year-old suspect was taken into custody, police reported.
Less than 24-hours after the incident, he was identified as Eric Wooten of St. Louis. He was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action.
The shooting happened in the North Riverfront neighborhood and is the first homicide investigation on record in that neighborhood so far this year.
As of Sunday morning, St. Louis city had recorded 17 homicides so far in 2022. Eleven of those people killed were under the age of 40.
In 2021, the city saw 197 homicides. That number was about a 25% drop from statistics in 2020, when the city recorded 263 homicides.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371, or anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous and is interested in a reward can contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/