In the early morning of May 10, 2024, a shooting near St. Louis City Hall left two men dead, including 29-year-old Sha’Rone Spates. The shooting occurred around 7:30 a.m. near 14th and Market streets, an area described as a gathering place for a small community of homeless individuals.

Police reports say a gunman shot Spates, then both the shooter and the wounded Spates ran toward a nearby police officer, an 18-year veteran who witnessed the events. The officer fired and fatally wounded the man who had shot Spates. Spates was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead; the shooter was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was not injured. City workers were later sent to clear out the homeless encampment near the old municipal courthouse.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or knew Sha’Rone Spates, please share what can help clarify what happened that morning.