On the morning of October 15, 2020, a violent incident unfolded in St. Louis County, Missouri, resulting in the death of 19-year-old male Ryan Hampton. Just before noon, Hampton was driving a silver Chrysler sedan northbound on Lucas and Hunt Road near Halls Ferry Road in the Jennings area. He was accompanied by two young children, a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy. As they traveled through the 8700 block, a stolen black Jeep Cherokee occupied by two men approached their vehicle.
The occupants of the Jeep opened fire on Hampton’s sedan in what authorities later described as an act of road rage.
The gunfire caused the two vehicles to collide, leaving the stolen Jeep inoperable on the roadway while Hampton’s car came to a stop on the side of the road. Following the crash, the two suspects exited the Jeep and fled the scene on foot. When St. Louis County police officers arrived in response to a ShotSpotter activation, they discovered Hampton suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The two children in the vehicle survived the attack but were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during the incident.
Investigation into the shooting led detectives to identify a suspect, Cameron Bernard, who was 19 years old at the time of the offense. Authorities determined that the Jeep involved in the attack had been reported stolen. Bernard was taken into custody in January 2021 and initially faced charges including first-degree murder and assault. Police revealed that the shooting involved Bernard firing from the stolen vehicle into the car occupied by Hampton and the children.
Legal proceedings continued for several years until September 2025, when Cameron Bernard, then 23, entered a guilty plea in St. Louis County Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to nine felonies, including second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault or attempted assault, and multiple counts of armed criminal action. As a result of the plea, Bernard was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting.
