Eddie Randall Jr.

In the late hours of a Saturday night in St. Louis, a gathering in the Midtown neighborhood was shattered by gunfire, an attack that took the life of 19-year-old Eddie Randall Jr. The shooting happened just before midnight on May 18, 2024, in the 3000 block of Olive Street, where a large crowd had assembled.

According to police, the violence began as a drive-by shooting. Occupants of one vehicle fired into another, striking Eddie and a second man. The suspects’ car then crashed into an uninvolved vehicle, injuring its driver, after which the occupants fled on foot. Eddie and the other man who was shot arrived at a hospital in a car riddled with bullet holes. Eddie was pronounced dead, while the other man, also 19, was seriously injured but listed in stable condition. Two women were also hurt; an 18-year-old sustained a graze wound and refused treatment at the scene, and another woman was privately taken to a hospital but left before speaking with investigators.

The St. Louis police Homicide Division launched an investigation that led to a series of arrests. In early June, authorities arrested 31-year-old Kevin Huddlen. Charging documents allege that he picked up four suspects who had fled the crash scene, knowing they were involved in the shooting. He was also accused of hiding a firearm belonging to one of the suspects. Kevin Huddlen was charged with four counts of hindering prosecution, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Investigators also identified 27-year-old Jordan D. Huddlen as one of the individuals in the vehicle who fired shots. He was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence, and four counts of armed criminal action. It was not immediately known if Jordan and Kevin Huddlen are related. Police stated that the other three suspects with Jordan Huddlen in the car were juveniles.

A third adult suspect, 19-year-old Kendrick Bobo, was arrested on October 9, 2024. He was charged with murder, assault, and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting. As of October 2024, all three men were being held in the St. Louis Justice Center without the possibility of bond as the cases against them proceeded.