5 hurt in 4 overnight shootings in St. Louis

[grady]

There are some obvious lessons to be learned from some of these shootings. None were in my neighborhood, but none were very far away either.

I found the dual in the street interesting. Both were hit multiple times, and each was hit in the arm.

Gassing up in the middle of the night? Not unless I'm a shift worker and didn't plan well.

White Castle at 1:45 a.m.? Not in this lifetime.

5 hurt in separate overnight shootings in St. Louis - STLtoday.com

5 hurt in separate overnight shootings in St. Louis
By Carolyn Tuft
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/14/2009

ST. LOUIS -- Five people were injured overnight in the city of St. Louis in four separate shootings -- including a gun battle where two men faced off in the middle of Euclid Avenue.

The gunfire began at 9:58 p.m. Thursday in the 4900 block of Warwick Avenue near Sherman Park in north St. Louis, police said. A 17-year-old girl told police that she was standing outside of her home talking to a neighbor when she heard gunfire. She then realized that she had been shot in the foot. The girl was taken to an area hospital and is listed in stable condition. Police say she was unable to give police a description of the gunman.


At 10:34 p.m. Thursday in the 900 block of North Euclid Avenue near Fountain Park, two men -- ages 27 and 29 -- walked in the street and started shooting at each other, witnesses told police. The 27-year-old was shot in the arm and thigh and is in critical but stable condition at an area hospital, police said. The 29-year-old was shot in the arm, back and stomach and also is listed in critical but stable condition at an area hospital.

Those two men gave police conflicting stories about what happened that led up to the shootings, police said.

At 12:30 a.m. Friday, a 27-year-old man was pumping gas at a station in the 4900 block of Goodfellow Boulevard near Interstate 70 when two men in their late 20s approached him, police said. The man got into his car and drove out of the parking lot. The two men started shooting and struck the 27-year-old in the shoulder. The victim is in stable condition at an area hospital.

At 1:45 a.m. Friday at a White Castle Parking lot at 806 S. Broadway, police said that a 19-year-old man met up with some people that he had gotten acquainted with earlier in the evening. While on the lot, five or six men in their early 20s demanded money from the 19-year-old, knocked him to the ground and shot him in the buttocks, police said. The gunmen took the victim's money and fled. The victim is in stable condition at an area hospital.

Police have declined to identify any of the victims. All of the shootings are still under investigation by the St. Louis police department.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[CEW58]

I drive through St. Louis a couple of times a years when traveling to PA to visit friends and family. I always make sure I have plenty of gas before I get anywhere near there and don't make any stops in the area.

[Saber]

Dang, St. Louis sounds like a nice place to visit or at least to train for urban warfare. Sure would be nice if these fine upstanding bad-asses were caught and given all the weapons they desire and then placed on a street corner in Baghdad.
Regards,

[retsupt99]

St. Louis sounds like a zoo...

"At 10:34 p.m. Thursday in the 900 block of North Euclid Avenue near Fountain Park, two men -- ages 27 and 29 -- walked in the street and started shooting at each other, witnesses told police. The 27-year-old was shot in the arm and thigh and is in critical but stable condition at an area hospital, police said. The 29-year-old was shot in the arm, back and stomach and also is listed in critical but stable condition at an area hospital.

Those two men gave police conflicting stories about what happened that led up to the shootings, police said."

Mmmmm...different stories, hard to believe.

Too bad they weren't both 'marksmen', would have solved some more of this world's problems.

Stay armed...Grady, watch your back (I know you do.)...stay safe!

[mengel4228]

It's great to live in St. Louis. Our morning news is a constant reminder of why I applied for my permit.

[faif2d]

I made a trip to an aluminum extruder in E. St Louis years ago. When I was talking to the salesman on the phone getting directions he made this statement " If you get lost past this point DO NOT stop and ask directions go back to civilization and give us a call". After driving onto the plant grounds I understood what he meant all to well. I would not have felt safe even if I had been carrying!

[llongshot]

East Saint Louis and South Chicago have always been places folks around here never went on purpose.

[tiwee]

My wife brought home a couple from her choir many years ago. He was a doctor from Japan. He came for one year to work in an emergency room in St Louis. His interest was learning how to treat gunshot victims . I asked him why St Louis. He expected to see more cases in St Louis than other cities and thought the hospital was cutting edge in their treatment. I don't know anything about medicine, but was unsettled that someone from Japan would pick St Louis. It is after all, not as well known overseas as many large cities in the US.

[CEW58]

East Saint Louis and South Chicago have always been places folks around here never went on purpose.

A few years ago I was taking the bypass (I-255) around St. Louis in the wee hours of the morning, and while going through E. St. Louis two cars flew past me in the left lane, got down the road about 1/4 mile and opened fire on each other.

The really bad thing is I have to disarm before going through that area as IL doesn't allow CCW.

This year I'm taking a different route even if it does add a couple of hours to the drive. Instead of taking I-44 then having to take the bypass all the way around St Louis, I'm taking I-35 to I-70. I still hit the St Louis area, but only the northern part. No more driving all the way around the place.

[Pikachu711]

Years ago I was assigned to Scott AFB located near Belleville, Illinois. Belleville, Illinois is very close to E. St. Louis. One day after I arrived I decided to take a drive and check out the area. Somehow I got very lost since I was new to the area. I saw signs for E. St. Louis and assumed I was headed in the direction of Scott AFB. Was I ever wrong!!!

When I entered the city of E. St. Louis I started noticing quite a few cars on blocks with no wheels, buildings in less than ideal condition & in some state of disrepair. I then realized I was in a very bad area. I did a quick 180 degrees and left the area as quickly as humanly possible.

If you want to be the victim of a crime DO go to E. St. Louis. If not, stay out! It is hazardous to your health.

[shooterX]

Man that's crazy, dangerous city!

[CEW58]

Man that's crazy, dangerous city!

According to city-data.com East Saint Louis has a crime index of 2462.4 while the national average crime index is 320.9!

[grady]

A couple days ago there were 4 more shootings overnight with 2 killed. Down from 5 a night, so I guess that's progress.

East St. Louis--yep, that's a place to avoid, even in the daytime. I went through there on business a few years ago with a guy who was raised there. It was about 10 a.m. We get to one intersection and he says, "Don't even look down the street to your right as we pass."

He was serious. Me looking could have been all some punk needed to be provoked.

I'll drive around E. St. Louis (assuming I ever enter Illinois again) regardless of how many extra miles it takes.

[CEW58]

A couple days ago there were 4 more shootings overnight with 2 killed. Down from 5 a night, so I guess that's progress.

East St. Louis--yep, that's a place to avoid, even in the daytime. I went through there on business a few years ago with a guy who was raised there. It was about 10 a.m. We get to one intersection and he says, "Don't even look down the street to your right as we pass."

He was serious. Me looking could have been all some punk needed to be provoked.

I'll drive around E. St. Louis (assuming I ever enter Illinois again) regardless of how many extra miles it takes.

I use city-data.com a lot when planning trips. It's a good guide for finding places to avoid!

[kellyII]

only been to St Louis once, dont think I will be returning anytime soon