On the evening of April 29, 2018, a tragic sequence of events unfolded at the Ballpark Village entertainment district in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, claiming the life of 38-year-old male Corey Hall. A resident of Spanish Lake and a proud father of two daughters, Hall had ventured to the Budweiser Brew House Rooftop Deck to celebrate his birthday. He was surrounded by friends and his brother, enjoying a particularly happy period in his life, having just married his wife two weeks prior.
The group was attending a private event titled 'Eat, Drink, Chill,' which had drawn a crowd of hundreds to the venue for an evening that was meant to be festive and safe.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly around 8:00 p.m. when an altercation broke out between two individuals nearby. The dispute, which had nothing to do with Hall or his party, escalated quickly into violence. One of the men involved in the argument pulled out a gun and fired shots into the crowded rooftop. Hall, who was simply an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, was struck in the head by a stray bullet. Another individual at the scene was also wounded in the leg but survived. The chaotic scene left witnesses scrambling for safety as the shooter fled. Hall was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 2:00 a.m. the following morning, leaving his family and new bride devastated by the sudden loss of an entrepreneur known for his lawnmower business and his dedication to helping others.
Investigators later identified the shooter as Scotty Joseph Lee. Following the incident, Lee turned himself in to the authorities. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault in connection with the shooting. The legal proceedings continued for over a year, culminating in August 2019 when Lee appeared in court. Rather than facing a trial on the original charges, he accepted a plea deal. The charges were amended, and Lee pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, and armed criminal action.
During the sentencing hearing, the impact of the crime was laid bare as Hall’s family expressed their grief and dissatisfaction with the outcome. Hall’s brother recounted the horror of the shooting and the pain of losing his sibling so soon after such a joyous time in his life. Despite the family's objections that justice had not been fully served, the judge sentenced Scotty Joseph Lee to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, closing the legal chapter on a birthday celebration that ended in senseless heartbreak.
