On the night of Friday, May 22, 2015, a young Black / African American man named Justin Welch, age 27, was killed in the West End of St. Louis. His life was cut short by gunfire around 11:05 p.m. in the 5500 block of Herbert Street, where he was discovered lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to his head, face, hand, legs, and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, Welch, a resident of the 900 block of Goodfellow, had gone to the area with the intention of buying drugs. While there, he encountered a group of men and joined them in a dice game. An argument during the game escalated into a physical altercation between Welch and another man. Following the fight, two men chased Welch and shot him as he tried to run away.
The investigation into the shooting of Justin Welch is ongoing. Authorities have not yet publicly identified any suspects or announced any arrests in connection with his death. Police are still seeking two men who are believed to have been involved in the fatal shooting.
