St Louis shooting: Three killed and four wounded in gunfire at convenience store

Two bodies were found outside a convenience store and another victim was found in a schoolyard

At least three people have been killed and four injured in a shooting on Monday night in St Louis in Missouri, police said.

John Hayden, the police commissioner, told the media that so far they don’t know any specific motive of the shooter.

According to the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the officers responded to a report of gunfire in the 4000 block of Sullivan Avenue shortly after 8pm CT.

Officials said two bodies were found outside the convenience store where the shooting took place. Another victim was found in the nearby yard of the Farragut Elementary School, Mr Hayden said.

He added: “It’s very early in the investigation.”

The police are trying to find a video that might have captured what exactly happened at the store and are canvassing the city’s Ville neighbourhood, CNN reported.

The St Louis police have identified the victims — Kevin Page, 40, Charlie Anderson, 31, and OJ Pernell, 44. NBC reported that the injured were taken to a hospital and treated. Two were in a critical condition and another man was stable, police said.

Officials said that “One man suffered a graze wound to his back and was released from the hospital.

So far, the authorities have not identified a suspect, but police said they were looking at the slain men and one of the critically injured men as potential suspects. No other details, including a motive for the shooting, were immediately available.

Mayor Tishaura Jones tweeted: “We wake up with heavy hearts after the shooting in the Greater Ville last night. We pray for the victims and their families.”

“After decades of neglect, I’m committed to reinvesting in North City to address root causes of crime. More resources make our communities safer,” she added.

Meanwhile, the St Louis shooting comes on the heels of another violent weekend in the US. As per the Gun Violence Archive, at least seven people were killed and at least 45 were injured in 10 separate mass shootings between Friday and Sunday night. Among the victims were at least two children, a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old, police said.

ABC News reported that “St Louis saw a near-record number of killings last year, with 262, and is on about the same pace in 2021.” The city has ranked among the deadliest in the US for many years, it said.