On the afternoon of Sunday, April 7, 2019, officers from the St. Louis County Police Department were alerted to a violent incident in North St. Louis County after the department's ShotSpotter system detected gunfire. The technology, designed to pinpoint the location of shots fired, directed law enforcement to the 10400 block of Prince Drive. Upon their arrival at approximately 4:30 p.m., first responders discovered a male victim inside a vehicle who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. He was subsequently identified as 27-year-old Michael Howell, a resident of the 10400 block of Lord Avenue, located not far from where his body was found. The initial investigation was taken over by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Bureau, which began canvassing the area for evidence and potential witnesses to the shooting.
At the time of the discovery, police released few details regarding the circumstances leading up to the shooting. Investigators appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the St. Louis County Police Department or CrimeStoppers. No immediate arrests were announced in the wake of the discovery, and initial reports did not name any specific suspects or provide a motive for the homicide.
