Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on May 9, 2025, officers responded to the 5100 block of Wells Avenue in the Academy neighborhood of Saint Louis after a ShotSpotter activation. First responders found 57-year-old Tyrone Mason lying on the front porch with fatal gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene before the home could be fully searched.

A standoff developed while officers awaited a search warrant. About three hours later, 61-year-old James Carter exited the residence, briefly spoke with police, went back inside, then came out armed with a rifle and opened fire on officers and a federal ATF agent. Officers returned fire; Carter was wounded, retreated into the house, and was later found dead near the front doorway when a SWAT team entered. Investigators then discovered two additional homicide victims inside: 34-year-old Ariel Eastling in the living room and 58-year-old James Rodriguez in the basement.

Authorities say Carter, a convicted felon, was the sole suspect and had killed Mason, Eastling, and Rodriguez. With the suspect deceased, the case was cleared by the death of the offender and detectives continued to investigate motive and the relationships among those involved. Does anyone have information about these victims or the people who lived at or visited that Wells Avenue residence?