Carmen L. Watson

In the early morning hours of October 30, 2013, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a north St. Louis neighborhood, forever altering the lives of those who knew and loved Carmen L. Watson. A 20-year-old African-American woman, Watson was enjoying a visit with two friends outside a home in the 1100 block of Aubert Avenue when the tranquility was irrevocably broken.

Without warning, a man emerged from a nearby gangway and began firing indiscriminately into the group. In the ensuing ch ...