On the night of Sunday, October 4, 2020, a violent incident unfolded in the North Riverfront neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, claiming the life of William Edwards, a 36-year-old Black male resident of Cahokia, Illinois. The events transpired late in the evening at Bernie’s Place Bar & Grill, an establishment located in the 1900 block of North Ninth Street, situated near the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Edwards was present at the venue when gunfire erupted inside the business, leading to a chaotic scene that drew the immediate attention of local law enforcement.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers responded to the call for a shooting at approximately 10:45 p.m. Upon their arrival at the bar, they discovered Edwards inside the premises, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the emergency response, he had sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. The homicide detectives assumed control of the investigation, working to piece together the circumstances that led to the deadly altercation within the bar.
As the investigation into the shooting progressed, a significant development occurred involving a potential suspect. Shortly after the incident, a 28-year-old woman arrived at an area hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to her arm. Police identified her as a suspect in connection with Edwards' death. After medical personnel treated her injury and discharged her, she was immediately taken into police custody. Authorities subsequently confirmed that the woman, a resident of Jennings, Missouri, was charged in relation to the fatal shooting, though the specific motive behind the violence remained part of the ongoing inquiry.
