Victor Fooks, 52, was killed on the night of November 25, 2023, in Hazelwood, Missouri, while working as general manager of the InTown Suites Extended Stay Hotel on Dunn Road. Known to residents as a peacekeeper who looked out for the community, Fooks was responding to a disturbance after two men had been asked to leave the hotel.

According to reports, Fooks and an associate escorted 20-year-old Jaylin McElroy and 18-year-old Marshaun Brinkley to the parking lot. Tensions escalated when McElroy, Brinkley and a 16-year-old juvenile allegedly produced firearms and opened fire. Some accounts say Fooks returned fire; other initial reports indicated he may have been unarmed. Fooks was shot in the knees and hands, crawled back into the hotel hallway and was found unresponsive by officers. He died after being taken to a hospital. McElroy was also shot in the chest and hospitalized.

Authorities arrested McElroy, Brinkley and the juvenile; the two adults were charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed criminal action, and held on high cash-only bonds. Residents described Fooks as a gentle giant who often helped those in need.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or knew Victor at the hotel, can you share what you remember?