A dispute between two acquaintances in Spanish Lake, north St. Louis County, ended in a fatal exchange of gunfire in the early hours of April 21, 2026. Bryant Whitley, 37, of the 6100 block of Lucille Avenue in St. Louis, was shot around 2:40 a.m. in the 1100 block of Congress Avenue and later died at a local hospital. Police say both men suffered gunshot wounds; investigators report that Whitley fired a weapon during the dispute and the other man, who knew Whitley, returned fire. The second man survived with non-life-threatening injuries.

The St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is handling the investigation. Detectives have identified and interviewed a person of interest, but authorities have not released the other man’s identity or said whether any arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Louis County Police Department or CrimeStoppers.