On the night of February 25, 2022, Cincere Ford, a 21-year-old African American male, was fatally shot in a violent incident in the City of Berkeley, St. Louis County, Missouri. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene in the 8300 block of Airport Road just after 10:00 p.m. following reports of gunfire. The shooting took place in the parking lot of a business known as the Liquor Doctor.
When police arrived, they discovered Ford and another individual inside a vehicle, both suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders transported them to a nearby hospital, where Ford succumbed to his injuries. The second victim sustained critical injuries but survived the attack.
Homicide detectives from the St. Louis County Police Department conducted an investigation that relied heavily on surveillance footage from the area. The video captured a 2019 Nissan Altima pulling alongside the victims' car before the driver opened fire. As the suspect fled the scene, the Altima struck another vehicle in the parking lot, causing damage that matched the car later found in the suspect's possession. The surviving victim was also able to identify the shooter, assisting authorities in narrowing down the search.
Police subsequently arrested Devon Gibson, identifying him as the perpetrator. In March 2022, prosecutors charged Gibson with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and multiple counts of armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was held on a $750,000 cash-only bond as the case progressed through the legal system. The investigation revealed that Gibson was a convicted felon at the time of the shooting and had arrived at the location specifically to target the vehicle Ford was occupying.
The case concluded in July 2023 when Devon Gibson pleaded guilty to charges related to the shooting. Instead of proceeding to a trial for first-degree murder, he entered a plea for second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and several weapons violations. This legal resolution acknowledged his responsibility for Ford's death and the severe injury of the other passenger, with sentencing scheduled to follow shortly after the plea was entered.
