On the evening of May 26, 2022, Edwardo Santiago Jr., a 29-year-old Black male, was outside with a group of people in Jennings, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The gathering was taking place in the 5600 block of Janet Avenue, where Santiago Jr. lived. At approximately 7:30 p.m., the scene was shattered by gunfire.
According to initial police reports, an unknown suspect or suspects pulled up in a vehicle, opened fire on the group, and then quickly fled the scene in what was described as
a drive-by shooting. In the chaos that followed, it was discovered that Santiago Jr. had been struck by the gunfire. Rather than waiting for an ambulance, he was rushed to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle. Despite the swift transport, his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. No one else in the group was reported to have been injured.
The St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons detectives launched a homicide investigation into the shooting. However, the case has remained unsolved, with no arrests made or suspects publicly identified. The investigation is considered very active, and authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward, offering the possibility of anonymity and a cash reward through CrimeStoppers. The reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible has been increased to a possible $7,000, supplemented by funds from family and friends.
Adding a layer of complexity to the case, the victim's father has publicly questioned the initial 'drive-by' narrative. He has stated that there were numerous witnesses to the shooting, possibly as many as 40 people who knew his son. He believes that someone within that group may have been responsible for his son's death and has expressed his pain and frustration over the lack of cooperation from those present.
