UPDATED, 4:25 p.m. with names of victims and the city's year-to-date homicide totals


ST. LOUIS -- Three St. Louis men were shot to death in their car between Union Station and the U.S. Post Office in downtown St. Louis after leaving a nightclub in St. Louis early Friday.

Police identified the victims this afternoon as Allen Jones, 32, of the 3400 block of Tennessee; Dawon Moore, 27, of the 4500 block of Emerson; and Byron Blassingame, 27, of the 4900 block of Alcott.

Moore, the driver, and Bassingame, his front-seat passenger, died in the car. Jones, a backseat passenger, got out of the car after being shot and collapsed in the street.

Police said that about 2:20 a.m. Friday, they were leaving a downtown nightclub called Club Society at 326 S. 21st St.

They were in an SUV, heading east on Market Street, when they stopped at a stoplight at Market and 18th streets. Another car pulled alongside theirs, and two people in that car opened fire on the SUV. They fired at least 14 shots.

Their SUV rolled forward, stopping in front of a bus stop. The three men had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police don't have a good description of the killer's car because witnesses gave widely conflicting descriptions, said police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross.

"It does appear to be a targeted incident," Van Ross said. "It certainly appears the suspects were targeting the men who were in that SUV."

The three murders puts the St. Louis homicide tally for 2009 so far at 38. This time last year, the city had 48 homicides.

On Thursday night at Club Society, national rapper Yo Gotti performed. The club's website called it a B-Day Bash hosted by Big Terence and DJ Sir Thurl. Club managers did not return phone calls to the Post-Dispatch.

Club Society's owner used to own Plush, a nightclub at 20th and Market streets in the Union Station complex that closed in 2006 after a man was shot several times and killed on the parking lot behind the club.

The victim of that murder on Nov. 12, 2006, was Charles Hogans, 22, of Dellwood. Hogans had been kicked out of the club for fighting moments earlier. The day after Hogans' murder, Plush surrendered its liquor license to the city.

Anyone with information about Friday's triple murder is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.


kbell@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8115