In the Gravois Park neighborhood of St. Louis, a young man’s life was cut tragically short on the evening of December 23, 2024. Romel White, a 17-year-old male, was in the 3600 block of Minnesota Avenue when violence erupted just before Christmas. Police received a call for a shooting shortly after 7:45 p.m. and arrived to find White on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to a local hospital, but his injury proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead. White, who lived on Keokuk Street, became another victim of gun violence in the city.
The investigation into the shooting soon revealed a premeditated plot. A witness later told police about a disagreement that had been brewing at a house on Pennsylvania Avenue. According to this witness, two individuals, 20-year-old Marcus Allen and 15-year-old Corion Harris-Wicks, were planning to kill White that day. The group had walked to a nearby store, and on their return, Allen and Harris-Wicks lagged behind the others. The witness stated that one of the suspects passed a gun to the other, who then aimed at White and attempted to fire, but the weapon jammed. After the gun was cleared, a shot was fired, striking White. Both suspects fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
In the months that followed, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department made progress in the case. On February 14, 2025, Marcus Allen was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Later, the second suspect, Corion Harris-Wicks, was also taken into custody. Despite his young age, the 15-year-old was certified to stand trial as an adult and faced the same serious charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, bringing a measure of progress for a family grieving the violent end of a young life.
