On the morning of October 31, 2021, a fatal shooting incident occurred in the Academy neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Police officers responded to a call at a residence in the 5000 block of Kensington Avenue at approximately 6:00 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered the victim, identified as 41-year-old Demetrius Combs, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Despite the presence of emergency responders, Combs succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was found lying on the floor of a bedroom inside the home.
Investigators determined that an altercation had taken place prior to the shooting. According to police reports, Combs and another man at the residence had been involved in a physical argument. The suspect alleged that he had been assaulted by Combs during the dispute. In the aftermath of the physical confrontation, the suspect retrieved a firearm and discharged it, striking Combs in the stomach. The shooter later told detectives that he had fired the weapon 'out of anger' following the fight.
Authorities arrested 45-year-old Leeland Ross at the scene in connection with the death. Ross, who resided in the 5100 block of Enright Avenue, was taken into custody without incident. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office subsequently charged him with first-degree involuntary manslaughter. Following the charges, Ross was ordered held without bail as the legal proceedings commenced. The investigation did not immediately disclose the specific nature of the dispute that led to the violence.
