On the afternoon of October 22, 2020, 15-year-old Ezell Johnson III was sitting in the back seat of a vehicle on the 4200 block of East Ashland Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood of St. Louis when a gunman approached and opened fire. The ninth-grader was struck multiple times and was taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Investigators found a chaotic scene with multiple 9mm shell casings and a white sedan nearby that had heavy ballistic damage. A .40 caliber pistol was recovered inside the car next to the victim. Detectives identified a suspect and, on October 30, 2020, arrested 19-year-old Tevin Collins at a Royal Drive residence; officers found a 9mm Sig-Sauer hidden in an air duct and Collins later admitted he shot the teen, saying he believed the victim had fired at him the night before.

Anyone with information about Ezell Johnson III, the shooting on East Ashland Avenue, or the events leading up to October 22, 2020 is asked to come forward.