Kiera D Tanter

Kiera D. Tanter was a goofy, lovable teenager with a smile that could light up a room. Known as a free spirit to her friends and family, the 16-year-old Black girl was remembered for her deep love for those around her. Anyone who knew Kiera loved her. She had attended Fanning Middle School and was a student at McCluer South Berkeley High School in St. Louis, Missouri, with her whole life ahead of her.

That life was stolen on the warm summer evening of Thursday, July 26, 2012. Kiera was with a group of friends in Gravois Park, a historic public space at the intersection of Miami Street and Louisiana Avenue in south St. Louis. At approximately 9:15 p.m., the peaceful gathering was shattered by the sound of gunfire. An unknown person or persons fired numerous shots into the crowd of young people. The attack appeared to follow an argument that had broken out between different groups in the park.

When the shooting stopped, five people had been hit. The park, which had been filled with conversation and laughter moments before, was now a scene of chaos and tragedy. Kiera was one of those struck by the bullets. Emergency services rushed her to a local hospital, but her gunshot wounds were too severe, and she was pronounced dead. Another young woman, 20-year-old Ronisha Jackson, also died from injuries she sustained in the mass shooting. Three other victims were wounded but survived. The deaths of Kiera and Ronisha were recorded as the 70th and 71st homicides in St. Louis that year.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene and launched a homicide investigation. Detectives canvassed the area for evidence and witnesses, trying to piece together the events that led to the deadly violence. However, despite the number of people present in the park, the investigation has been hampered by a lack of public information. No suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in the years since the shooting.

In the wake of the tragedy, Kiera's family was left to navigate an unbearable loss. Her mother, Shinita, has spoken of the deep pain of losing her child and the frustration of not having answers or justice. "My baby got killed at 16, and I still haven’t gotten any justice," she said in 2014. She described the difficulty of facing milestones and birthdays without her daughter, a constant reminder of all that was taken. The families of both victims have pleaded for witnesses to come forward and share what they saw, hoping that someone will break the silence and help bring the killer or killers to justice.

More than a decade has passed since Kiera Tanter and Ronisha Jackson were killed, and their case remains cold. The St. Louis Regional Crime Stoppers continues to list the double homicide as an open case, hoping for a new lead that could finally solve the crime. The person or persons responsible for ending two young lives and injuring three others in a public park have never been held accountable. As of the latest available information, the investigation is ongoing but inactive.