Lamonte Keys, a 32-year-old male from Berkeley, died on May 28, 2026, after gunfire broke out during a birthday gathering at Ramona-Mathison Lake Park in Berkeley, Missouri, in north St. Louis County. What began as a family and friends gathering near Ramona Lake turned violent late that afternoon, around 5:20 p.m., after a dispute reportedly started over children getting too close to the lake.
Authorities said women at the gathering yelled at men who they believed were not watching the children closely enough, and that argument escalated into a physical fight between two women.
The confrontation did not stop there. Police said two men then began fighting, and the situation quickly turned deadly. Investigators said Devion J. Sneed went to his vehicle, retrieved an assault-style rifle, and opened fire. Keys was struck and later died from his injuries. Three other people were also shot during the incident, including one woman and two men. The shooting scattered people across the park as those at the birthday gathering tried to get away from the gunfire.
The chaotic aftermath stretched beyond the immediate shooting scene. Some victims were taken to hospitals by ambulance, while at least one injured person reportedly drove himself for treatment. A female victim attempted to drive away for medical help but crashed near Hanley Road and Springdale Avenue. Police also found a vehicle submerged in Ramona Lake after a driver trying to flee accidentally put the vehicle in reverse and backed into the water. A man and an infant were reportedly inside the vehicle, but all occupants were able to escape.
Investigators said the people involved knew one another, which helped police identify the suspect quickly. Devion J. Sneed, from north St. Louis County, was charged in connection with Keys’ death. The charges reported against him included first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, stealing a firearm, and four counts of armed criminal action. Authorities said the assault charges were tied to the surviving shooting victims identified in court records by initials.
Reports differed on whether Sneed had already been arrested immediately after charges were filed or whether a warrant had been issued pending his arrest, but prosecutors had charged him by May 29, 2026. His bond was reported as $600,000 cash-only, or set to be $600,000 upon arrest. No additional suspects were publicly identified in the available reports, and police statements indicated the case moved quickly because witnesses and participants were familiar with one another.
The birthday gathering, meant to be a celebration at a public park, ended with one man dead, multiple people wounded, a crash away from the scene, and a vehicle in the lake. Authorities described the violence as the result of an argument that spiraled into a fistfight and then gunfire, leaving Lamonte Keys as the only person who died while the remaining wounded victims survived or were taken for medical treatment.
