In the heart of St. Louis, a burst of gunfire in the Academy neighborhood on a Wednesday afternoon shattered the late summer peace and set in motion the events that would lead to the death of William Person. The 31-year-old man was one of four people struck by bullets on September 18, 2024, in a vacant lot located in the 5000 block of Kensington Avenue.
The initial exchange of gunfire was believed by detectives to have involved at least two individuals.
Emergency services rushed to the chaotic scene, where they found multiple victims. Two other young people, 21-year-old Qua'nell Robinson and 21-year-old Taylor Richards, both of Florissant, succumbed to their injuries that same day. A fourth victim, a 21-year-old man, was also hit by a bullet in the arm but survived. Person was transported to a local hospital in critical and unstable condition, fighting for his life.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, William Person's injuries proved to be too severe. Two days after the shooting, on Friday, September 20, 2024, he passed away at the hospital. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Division took charge of the investigation into the triple homicide. As of the latest available reports, the police were actively seeking information from the public to help piece together the circumstances that led to the deadly shooting. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the deaths of William Person, Qua'nell Robinson, and Taylor Richards. The case remains an open investigation, leaving a community searching for answers and justice for the three lives lost.
