On the afternoon of March 11, 2024, a routine commute turned into a scene of sudden and senseless violence in Berkeley, Missouri. Jaron Jackson-Craig, a 34-year-old African American male, was riding a MetroBus near the 8300 block of Airport Road, reportedly on his way home after attending a job interview. He was looking forward to the prospect of new employment and settling into the next chapter of his life. As the bus made its way through the St.
Louis suburb, the vehicle was abruptly cut off and blocked by a Dodge Caliber, bringing the transit route to a terrifying halt.
The driver of the car, identified by authorities as 36-year-old Anthony Laron Frazier, exited his vehicle and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the bus. Witnesses stated that the assailant did not stop at the initial volley; he boarded the bus and continued firing. Investigators later revealed that the attack was spurred by a perceived slight from another passenger, 37-year-old Jorge Andres Cantor Pinzon. Frazier allegedly felt disrespected because Pinzon had looked at him the 'wrong way' earlier that day. While Pinzon was the intended target of this perceived grievance, Jaron Jackson-Craig had no connection to the dispute and was simply an innocent bystander caught in the deadly crossfire.
Both men sustained fatal gunshot wounds during the rampage. Emergency responders transported them to a local hospital, but neither survived their injuries. The tragedy left a family grieving the loss of a son and grandson who was known for his kind spirit. Jaron's grandmother, noted St. Louis gospel singer Zella Jackson Price, and his mother, Sharon Jackson, publicly expressed their devastation at the random nature of the killing, lamenting that he was taken away while simply trying to return home.
Law enforcement officers from the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis quickly mobilized to track down the shooter. They determined that the Dodge Caliber used to block the bus had been carjacked earlier that day in Bellefontaine Neighbors. Utilizing surveillance footage from the bus and the surrounding area, police identified Frazier as the primary suspect. He was apprehended shortly after the incident in the same area where the carjacking had occurred.
Following his arrest, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed severe charges against Anthony Frazier. He faces two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree robbery, four counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. At the time of the charges being announced, Frazier was held without bond, with authorities emphasizing the randomness of the violence that claimed two lives over nothing more than a glance.
