On the night of May 28, 2021, a dispute that began inside a local bar in Dellwood, Missouri, spilled out into the parking lot, leading to a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 23-year-old Kyree Shakur Smith. The male victim was caught in an exchange of gunfire outside the II Bar on West Florissant Avenue at approximately 11:15 p.m. When officers from the North County Cooperative Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered a chaotic situation with four people suffering from
gunshot wounds.
Kyree Shakur Smith succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while another male victim was left in critical condition and two women sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation into the shooting was extensive, with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis being called in to assist. Their investigation pointed to an earlier verbal altercation inside the bar involving a female patron.
Following the argument, the woman, identified as 24-year-old Delece Lee of Ferguson, allegedly went to her car, retrieved a handgun, and fired into a crowd she believed contained the individuals from the earlier dispute. This act is said to have initiated an exchange of gunfire, which resulted in the multiple casualties, including the death of Kyree Smith.
In the wake of the incident, Delece Lee was arrested. She was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Authorities noted that while it was unclear if a bullet from Lee's gun was the one that fatally wounded Smith, her actions in perpetrating a felony assault that led to his death were the basis for the murder charge. Lee was taken into custody at the St. Louis County Jail and held on a $250,000 cash-only bond.
