In the early morning hours of May 10, 2024, a burst of violence shattered the relative calm near St. Louis City Hall, leaving two men dead, including 29-year-old Sha’Rone Spates. The incident unfolded around 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of 14th and Market streets, an area that had become a gathering place for a small community of homeless individuals.
According to police reports, the situation began when a gunman shot Spates.
A nearby police officer, an 18-year veteran of the force, witnessed the unfolding events as both the gunman and the injured Spates ran towards him. The officer intervened, firing his weapon and fatally wounding the man who had shot Spates.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and Spates was rushed to a local hospital for treatment of his gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he was pronounced dead. The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. The officer involved in the incident was not injured. In the aftermath of the deadly encounter, city workers were dispatched to the area to clear out the homeless encampment that had been established near the old municipal courthouse.
