Demond Taylor

Demond Taylor was an 18-year-old Black male remembered by his family for his laughter and kindness. His girlfriend, Dejah Robinson, said, “Everybody loved him, literally. He could go anywhere because everybody loved him.” His older sister, Niya Brown, called him her heart and her everything. On the evening of Sunday, February 16, 2025, Demond was at home with his family. His sister recalled that they all talked and laughed together before he left, telling them he loved them and would be right back.

Just after 5:15 p.m., Demond went to the Spanish Lake Market in the 11900 block of Larimore Road in St. Louis County, a store he frequented. According to police, surveillance video captured the moments that followed. A man, later identified as 21-year-old Ken’Vonte Bownes, was seen inside the market with a visible firearm. After making a purchase, Bownes started to leave the store just as Demond was walking in. The two made eye contact, and Bownes then raised his gun and shot Demond multiple times.

Police said the video showed Bownes running to his car before turning back, re-entering the market, and taking Demond’s gun from his person. Bownes then fled the scene in a black Audi. Officers arrived to find Demond suffering from gunshot wounds to his neck, left forearm, and lower body. He was rushed to a hospital, but he did not survive his injuries. His family, who had hurried to the scene, was not allowed to see him. His sister later pleaded for anyone with information to come forward, saying, “This is a young Black kid. He died for no reason.”

Investigators with the St. Louis County Police Department used the surveillance footage and cell phone location data, which placed Bownes near the market at the time of the shooting. Bownes was arrested on Thursday, February 27, 2025. During questioning, he initially denied having been at the market but later admitted to shooting Demond, claiming it was in self-defense. He also told police that Demond was still alive when he took his gun.

St. Louis County prosecutors charged Ken’Vonte Bownes with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. He was held on a $200,000 cash-only bond. As of February 2025, the investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons was ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact St. Louis County Police or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).