In the heart of downtown St. Louis, a gathering of mourners was shattered by gunfire on the evening of September 20, 2021. Cedric Owens, a 34-year-old male, was among those present at a vigil in the 2000 block of St. Charles Street, an event intended to honor another life lost to violence. Tragically, the vigil itself became a scene of further bloodshed when an unknown assailant opened fire on the crowd, striking four people.
Cedric Owens suffered fatal injuries in the attack and was
pronounced dead, turning a place of remembrance into another memorial for a life cut short. Three other individuals were also wounded in the shooting. At the time of the incident, Owens was a dedicated employee at UPS and was remembered by his loved ones as a loving father.
The vigil had been organized for the boyfriend of Owens' niece, who had been killed at the same location. The brazen nature of the shooting, occurring at a gathering for a homicide victim, sent shockwaves through the community. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement had not identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the deadly assault on the mourners.
The investigation into the death of Cedric Owens and the wounding of three others remains ongoing. To date, there have been no public announcements regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects in the case. The question of who was responsible for the violence that claimed Owens' life and injured others at a place of mourning remains unanswered, leaving his family and the community awaiting justice.
