On the evening of July 5, 2018, 30-year-old Rachaud Grayer was tragically killed at a business parking lot in St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred outside the M&A Market located in the 4200 block of Natural Bridge Avenue in the city's North City area. According to reports, Grayer had become involved in a disagreement with another man at the location.
Witnesses and investigators detailed that Grayer attempted to de-escalate the situation by disengaging; he was walking away from the confrontation when the gunman opened fire, striking him in the back.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene around 7:45 p.m. to find Grayer suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite their arrival, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The senseless nature of the crime left his family devastated. His father, Richard Grayer, later spoke to the media, describing his son as a non-combative person who loved his family deeply. Rachaud Grayer was a father to three biological children and two stepchildren, all of whom were left without their dad due to the violence.
The case broke open roughly nine days later following another fatal shooting in the area. On July 14, 2018, police arrested 36-year-old Talib Ziyad in connection with the murder of Kenneth Pointer, who was shot and killed on a Metro bus and at a subsequent bus stop. Following his capture, detectives questioned Ziyad regarding the earlier incident on Natural Bridge Avenue. During the interrogation, Ziyad admitted to the July 5 shooting of Rachaud Grayer.
authorities subsequently charged Talib Ziyad with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the death of Rachaud Grayer, in addition to identical charges for the death of Kenneth Pointer. The investigation revealed that the two victims were unconnected, and the killings were separate acts of violence allegedly committed by the same individual within a short span of time. The families of both victims expressed their shared grief and frustration with the justice system, questioning why the suspect was able to remain free to commit a second murder days after the first.
