In the early morning hours of April 4, 2015, a violent encounter in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood tragically ended the life of 27-year-old Darryl T. Simms, a male resident of East St. Louis, Illinois. The incident unfolded around 6:15 a.m. on the 5200 block of Jamieson Avenue. Simms, an African-American, was in the company of three other men when they approached an apartment complex.
Events escalated when Anthony Altick, then 27, opened fire from his apartment, striking Simms multiple
times in the chest, back, and side. Two other men with Simms were also wounded in the shooting. One, a 25-year-old, was shot in the upper torso and was listed in critical but stable condition. Another, a 24-year-old, sustained wounds to his arm and side and was in serious but stable condition. A fourth man who was with them reportedly fled the scene unharmed. Simms was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent surgery but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation that followed revealed that the shooting was not a random act of violence. At least one of the men with Simms knew Altick. According to court documents, the four men had entered Altick's apartment building and were proceeding up the stairs toward his unit when he began shooting without any warning. It was reported that one of the victims even called out Altick's name to identify themselves, but the gunfire continued.
In the days following the shooting, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged Anthony Altick in connection with the incident. He faced charges of first-degree murder for the death of Darryl T. Simms, as well as two counts of assault and three counts of armed criminal action for the injuries sustained by the other two victims. Altick was taken into custody and held at the St. Louis City Justice Center on a $750,000 cash-only bond.
