On February 22, 2018, the quiet routine of a workday in Berkeley, St. Louis County, was shattered by sudden violence at the intersection of Fay Drive and Canyon Drive. Frank Langston, a 55-year-old male from St. Louis, was present at the scene in his capacity as a contract utility worker. Employed as a cement truck driver, Langston was performing his duties at a Metropolitan St.
Louis Sewer District site, minding his own business approximately half a block away from where a dispute was unfolding. Without warning, a barrage of gunfire erupted, turning the residential street into a crime scene. Langston, an innocent bystander unconnected to the conflict, was struck in the lower body by a stray bullet. Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead the following morning.
The investigation by St. Louis County Police revealed that the violence stemmed from a targeted attack on a passing vehicle. A suspect, later identified as Lonnell Lewis-Jones, had opened fire multiple times at a car containing three occupants as it attempted to leave the neighborhood. The reckless volley of bullets not only struck Langston but also fatally wounded one of the vehicle's passengers, 27-year-old William Dortch. Dortch was transported to a hospital by another individual in the car but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The tragic double homicide highlighted the devastating reach of gun violence, claiming the lives of both a targeted individual and a hardworking community member simply doing his job.
Law enforcement officials moved quickly to apprehend the shooter. Lonnell Lewis-Jones, who was 25 years old at the time of the incident, was arrested and faced a litany of serious charges. Prosecutors brought cases against him for two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and four counts of armed criminal action. During the legal proceedings, evidence presented to the court demonstrated that Lewis-Jones and his brother had fired repeatedly at the vehicle. The case eventually went to trial, where a jury found Lewis-Jones guilty of the charges. He was subsequently sentenced to serve life in prison plus an additional seventeen years. In October 2024, an appellate court affirmed his convictions and sentence, ensuring he would remain incarcerated for the deaths of Frank Langston and William Dortch.
