In the Walnut Park West neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, a burst of gunfire on the afternoon of July 29, 2020, tragically cut short the life of 22-year-old Malik Taylor. The shooting, which erupted around 1:45 p.m. near the intersection of West Florissant Avenue and Goodfellow Boulevard, was described by police as a shootout between two rival groups. When officers arrived at the chaotic scene, they discovered five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. Taylor, along with 18-year-old Elijah McKinney and 18-year-old Daijon Nearing, were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other victims, a 17-year-old boy and a 37-year-old man, were also injured in the barrage of bullets but ultimately survived.
The investigation into the triple homicide led to a significant development in November 2020 with the arrest of 17-year-old Joshua Amerson. He faced a litany of charges, including one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. Authorities alleged that Amerson was responsible for the deaths of Taylor, McKinney, and Nearing. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's homicide division took charge of the investigation, appealing to the public for any information that could help bring clarity and justice to the violent event that shook the community.
Despite the initial charges against Amerson, the path to justice proved to be fraught with challenges. In a move to allow more time to prepare the case, prosecutors dismissed the charges against Amerson in July 2022, a legal tactic that would permit them to refile at a later date. However, the charges were dismissed again in June 2023, with prosecutors citing a persistent lack of witness cooperation as a major obstacle. Shortly after the dismissal of the murder charges, Amerson's legal troubles continued as he was arrested on separate drug trafficking charges after being found with a large quantity of pills believed to contain fentanyl.
