On the night of September 30, 2023, an altercation between two groups in a gas station parking lot in Hazelwood, Missouri, erupted into gunfire, claiming the life of Charles Carbon IV. An 18-year-old Black / African American male from north St. Louis County, Charles was a passenger in a black Acura that had just pulled into the QuikTrip at 7400 North Lindbergh Boulevard.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a red Dodge Avenger arrived at the gas station, and three people inside it began shooting
at the Acura. Charles was struck by a gunshot. Another person associated with him sustained non-life-threatening injuries. When officers from the Hazelwood Police Department arrived in response to calls of shots fired, they found Charles inside the vehicle and performed life-saving efforts until he could be transported to a hospital. He was later pronounced dead.
The Hazelwood Police Department's Criminal Investigation Team led the investigation and identified two of the alleged shooters as JaQuan M. Clarett and Dakota Shelton. In November 2023, police arrested Clarett, and a grand jury later indicted him on charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Shelton, who was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, was the second suspect identified. In November 2024, after turning 18, he was certified to stand trial as an adult. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office formally charged him with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. A judge set his bond at $500,000, cash-only.
As of late November 2024, both JaQuan Clarett and Dakota Shelton remained in custody awaiting trial. Clarett has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for January 17, 2025. Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call the Hazelwood Police Department at 314-838-5000.
