On New Year’s Day 2018, a violent incident in the Baden neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, claimed the life of 32-year-old Antoine Jackson. The discovery was made by police officers shortly after the start of the new year, following reports of a vehicle crash in the area. When authorities arrived at the scene in the 1200 block of McLaran Avenue, they found a sedan that had collided with a parked car.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the crash was the result of a shooting, as the vehicle had been riddled with bullets.
Inside the car, officers discovered Antoine Jackson and another man, Jamar Griffin, who was also 32 years old. Both men were found unconscious and suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel pronounced them dead at the scene, marking one of the first double homicides of the year in the city. The nature of the crime scene suggested a targeted attack, with the vehicle likely being fired upon while in motion, causing the driver to lose control and crash.
The investigation into the deaths of Jackson and Griffin began immediately, with homicide detectives canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and surveillance footage. In the days following the shooting, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department struggled to identify immediate suspects. Public reports from the time indicated that investigators had little information to go on, and no descriptions of potential shooters were released in the immediate aftermath. The case highlighted the ongoing challenges law enforcement faced in solving violent crimes in the area, leaving the families of both men seeking answers in the wake of the sudden tragedy.
