In the early morning hours of May 17, 2020, a violent sequence of events unfolded in the Lewis Place neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, claiming the life of 38-year-old Black male Winndell Howard. Police officers were dispatched to the 4700 block of McMillian Avenue around 2:17 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival at the residence, first responders discovered Howard lying on a front porch, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate response of emergency personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene, marking another tragedy in the North City community.
The investigation launched by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Division revealed that the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute that rapidly escalated. Detectives determined that Howard had been involved in a heated verbal argument with a 28-year-old woman at the location. As the disagreement intensified into a physical altercation, a third individual present at the scene, identified as 30-year-old Christopher Harmon, intervened in the conflict. During this confrontation, Harmon allegedly produced a firearm and discharged it multiple times, striking Howard and causing his fatal injuries.
Law enforcement officers who secured the area located Christopher Harmon remaining at the scene of the crime. He was taken into custody without further incident, and police recovered a firearm believed to be the weapon used in the shooting. Following a review of the evidence gathered by homicide detectives, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office formally charged Harmon with one count of second-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action in connection with Howard's death. The case proceeded through the legal system as investigators continued to urge anyone with additional information to come forward to assist in the ongoing proceedings.
