On the afternoon of November 2, 2019, tragedy struck a residence in the Riverview community of St. Louis County, Missouri. Artelia Jones-Harold, a 48-year-old female, was inside a home located in the 200 block of Chambers Road when a violent domestic dispute erupted. The altercation involved Artelia and 51-year-old Bennie Whalen. As the argument escalated, authorities determined that Whalen produced a firearm and fatally shot Artelia.
During the incident, a third adult who was present in
the home attempted to intervene to stop the violence. This individual, witnessing the attack on Artelia, drew a weapon and fired at Whalen, striking him. Following the exchange of gunfire, the intervening party contacted emergency services to report the shooting.
When officers from the Riverview Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department arrived at the scene around 1:25 p.m., they discovered both Artelia Jones-Harold and Bennie Whalen deceased from their injuries. The investigation revealed that the initial shooting of Artelia was the result of the domestic fight initiated by Whalen. The third adult who had stepped in to defend the victim remained at the scene, was taken into custody for questioning, and fully cooperated with homicide detectives regarding the sequence of events.
