On the evening of April 5, 2022, a burst of gunfire shattered the night in the Academy neighborhood of St. Louis, tragically cutting short the life of 19-year-old Corey Blackwell-Gines. A male, Blackwell-Gines was a passenger in a car with two other men, driving in the 5000 block of Minerva Avenue, just west of North Kingshighway, at approximately 9:20 p.m.
when another vehicle pulled alongside and unleashed a volley of shots.
The driver of the targeted car, who miraculously escaped injury, told police he heard the gunshots and saw an assailant firing from a silver vehicle. In the chaotic aftermath, with Blackwell-Gines and the other 22-year-old passenger both struck by bullets, the driver sped away from the scene, rushing the two wounded men to Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Despite the desperate race for medical attention, Corey Blackwell-Gines succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The other passenger was left in critical condition.
In the wake of the shooting, the St. Louis community mourned the loss of a young man described by his mother as a loving, caring, and outgoing person with a big heart and a beautiful smile. His family's grief was channeled into positive action with the creation of a non-profit foundation in his name, Corey's Way of Caring, dedicated to making a difference in the community and helping to end gun violence.
As of now, public online sources and reports on the investigation have not released any information regarding the identification of any suspects. Details on any arrests made in connection with the shooting, or subsequent charges, trials, or convictions have not been made available. The case is still considered to be an open investigation, leaving a family and a community awaiting answers and justice for the senseless act of violence that claimed a young life.
