Jarod Rhodes was a 15-year-old student at Belleville East High School and a rising performer in the St. Louis area. He sang with the Muny Kids, studied voice at the Center of Creative Arts, and performed with the St. Louis Repertory Theatre and on the Polar Express at Union Station. His first role came at age three, and family, classmates and arts organizations remembered him for a powerful tenor voice and playful spirit.

On the evening of Friday, February 27, 2026, police and EMS responded to a shooting at a residence on Brookmeadow Drive in Belleville. Officers found Jarod in the garage with a gunshot wound; he died despite medical aid. The St. Clair County Coroner identified him. The Belleville Police Department said the shooting does not appear to have been intentional and that investigators are not actively seeking suspects.

Jarod is survived by his parents, Vincent Rhodes Jr. and Shaunte Griffin Rhodes, several siblings and a large extended family. Does anyone in the community have information about that evening or memories of Jarod to share?