On November 4, 2016, tragedy struck in the St. Louis suburb of Bel-Ridge, Missouri, involving 19-year-old Michael Christopher Gales. A Black male described by loved ones as a student and budding entrepreneur, Gales was found fatally injured in the late afternoon. Police officers responded to a call around 5:40 p.m. on the 4200 block of Springdale Avenue, where they discovered a chaotic scene involving a vehicle that had careened out of control.
According to reports from the St.
Louis County Police Department, Gales was discovered in the driver's seat of a car that had rolled down a hill and crashed into an apartment complex. Upon inspecting the vehicle, authorities found that he had sustained at least one gunshot wound. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene, determining that the crash was a secondary result of the shooting that had incapacitated him while he was behind the wheel.
Investigators processed the area for evidence and began working to piece together the events leading up to the violence. Early assessments released by law enforcement suggested that the shooting appeared to be drug-related, though specific details regarding the motive were not fully elaborated upon in initial reports. Detectives urged the public to come forward with any information, directing tips to CrimeStoppers as they worked to identify those responsible for ending the life of the young man known affectionately to friends as 'Big Mike' or 'Numba3.' No specific details regarding confirmed arrests or convictions of suspects have been widely publicized in available accounts of the case.
