In the late afternoon of December 5, 2013, a violent incident unfolded in the 4400 block of Elmbank in North St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the death of 21-year-old Devin Gordon. Police officers were dispatched to the residence following a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene involving two victims who had sustained critical gunshot wounds. Inside the home, officers found Justin Gordon, age 22, lying unconscious on the floor. He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.
Devin Gordon was discovered in the entryway of the home, also suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Unlike the other victim, Devin was still alive when authorities arrived, though he was in critical and unstable condition. Emergency medical personnel transported him to a nearby hospital in an effort to save his life. Despite medical intervention, his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead at 5:05 p.m. that same evening.
The investigation into the double homicide led St. Louis police to identify a suspect in the weeks following the shooting. On January 16, 2014, authorities announced the arrest of 20-year-old Ryan Handson in connection with the deaths. Handson, a resident of St. Louis, was taken into custody and subsequently faced serious criminal charges related to the incident. The Circuit Attorney’s Office charged him with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Devin and Justin Gordon.
In addition to the murder charges, Handson faced two counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree burglary, suggesting he had unlawfully entered the residence where the shooting took place. Police spokesperson Schron Jackson confirmed the details of the arrest and the charges brought against the suspect, marking a significant development in the case for the grieving families of the two young men.
