In the late afternoon of February 8, 2023, Jerry Savage Jr., a 25-year-old Black man from Dellwood, was at a Mobil gas station in St. Louis' Mark Twain neighborhood when his life was abruptly cut short. At approximately 2:45 p.m., while Savage was at the gas station located at 4540 North Union Boulevard, a red SUV with three armed individuals pulled up. A confrontation and a struggle ensued, ending with Savage being shot multiple times.
The assailants then got back into their vehicle and fled the scene. First responders found Savage on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to 24-year-old James Armstrong of Jennings. Surveillance footage from the gas station played a crucial role, showing the three armed individuals exiting the red SUV and confronting Savage. GPS tracking of the getaway vehicle led detectives to Armstrong's residence. Further surveillance video showed Armstrong entering the SUV before the shooting and after, and his phone's GPS data placed him at the scene of the crime.
On March 9, 2023, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged James Armstrong with second-degree murder in connection with Jerry Savage Jr.'s death, and he was taken into custody without bond. Although he was not the one who pulled the trigger, Armstrong was found to have been the driver for his accomplices who attempted to rob Savage. In February 2025, a jury found Armstrong guilty of involuntary manslaughter, attempted robbery, and armed criminal action for his part in the fatal shooting. He was scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2025. The other two suspects involved in the incident have not been publicly identified, and it is not clear if they have been arrested.
