On the night of July 12, 2022, 35-year-old male Rickey Jemore Lathan was spending time with his family in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Lathan, a general manager at a local Panera Bread, was in the front yard of his home on the 2500 block of Semple Avenue around 11:00 p.m. He was accompanied by his two children, a 10-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, and the group was setting off fireworks to celebrate the summer evening.
The atmosphere shifted when a single bottle rocket traveled across the street and inadvertently struck the home of a neighbor.
The incident prompted an immediate and hostile confrontation from the residents of the house that had been hit. Ronald Curry Sr., the grandfather of the young men living at the residence, emerged from the home to angrily dispute the use of fireworks with Lathan. As the argument ensued, two of the man's grandsons, Davon Griffin-Curry and his younger brother Devin Griffin-Curry, exited the house armed with 9mm firearms. The brothers opened fire on Lathan in front of his children. Lathan was struck at least ten times and was pronounced dead at the scene by responding authorities.
Police investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of both brothers. Surveillance footage from a doorbell camera reportedly captured the pair carrying weapons back onto the porch of their residence immediately following the shooting. Prosecutors charged both suspects in connection with the murder. Devin Griffin-Curry, who was 16 years old at the time of the shooting, was certified to stand trial as an adult. In April 2024, he was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving a sentence of 22 years in prison.
The older brother, Davon Griffin-Curry, faced similar charges for his role in the killing. In late 2024, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action after a trial where details of the fireworks dispute were presented. Following the guilty verdict, a judge sentenced Davon to life in prison plus an additional five consecutive years. The case was prosecuted by the Circuit Attorney’s Office, which emphasized the senseless nature of the violence that left six children without their father over a minor neighborhood disagreement.
