Christmas Eve killings bring St. Louis homicide toll to at least 257

ST. LOUIS — Four people were fatally shot in St. Louis on Thursday, bringing the city’s homicide toll for the year within reach of an all-time record.

As of Friday, at least 257 people have been killed in St. Louis, 10 short of the record 267 set in 1993, according to police.

Because of the city’s population decline, its homicide rate is believed to now exceed 85 per 100,000 people. It was 69 per 100,000 in 1993 when the city’s population was nearly 30% larger than it is now.

Compounding the violence Thursday was the fatal double shooting of two men in University City.

Neither police department on Friday released more details of the shootings, which began shortly after midnight in St. Louis when a man was shot in the head near Mound Street and North Broadway, police said.

Officers responding to the call found the man in the 100 block of Mound Street; he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A man was found shot dead about 5 a.m. Thursday in a vehicle in the Patch neighborhood near South Broadway and east Davis Street, police said. Officers responding to the shooting in the 8100 block of Broadway found the man dead at the scene.

A double shooting at 2:30 p.m. in The Ville neighborhood left two men dead in a vehicle in the 4500 block of Aldine Avenue, near Martin Luther King Drive, police said. The men had “multiple puncture wounds,” police said.

In University City, two men were shot dead about 3:30 p.m. in the 6500 block of Crest Avenue, police said.

U. City police did not release more details, but asked anyone with information to call 314-725-2211, Ext. 8010. 

St. Louis Police ask anyone with information on any of the shootings to call homicide detectives directly at 314-444-5371. 

Tipsters to either police department who want to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477, and may be eligible for a reward.