St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones announced Friday that following a shooting downtown that left one dead and another critically injured, the encampment of unhoused people living near the Municipal Courts Building will be cleared.
Jones and representatives of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department have so far refused to comment on whether or not anyone from the encampment was actually involved in the shooting.
This morning at approximately 7:30 a.m. — hours before the regularly scheduled Board of Aldermen meeting — a St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer was in the area to address a mobile camera trailer, Police Major Janice Bockstruck said during a press conference. Shooting erupted across the street.
“At that point the suspect was chasing the victim on Market in the 1300 block shooting at the victim,” Bockstruck says. “The officer then engaged the suspect.”
The suspect was shot and killed by the officer, she confirms. The victim was transported to the hospital and is in critical unstable condition.
When asked by a reporter whether the nearby encampment was involved in any way with the shooting, Bockstruck said: “We have no knowledge on that yet, that’s part of our ongoing investigation.”
The suspect and victim were both running towards the officer when the shooting occurred, she said. So far, only one gun — that of the suspect — has been recovered.
Following the shooting, Jones announced the encampment would be cleared immediately.
“I'm grateful for the SLMPD officer who responded to a shooting incident in progress and upheld his duty to protect and serve," Jones said in a statement. "We are taking this incident seriously, and the safety of our residents and staff is paramount. The area will be secured today, and individuals will no longer be permitted to congregate near the building."
Jones’ office directed further questions about the shooting to St. Louis Police.
Residents set up the encampment near the Municipal Courts Building last October, about a week after the city cleared a camp near City Hall that had flourished for months.
Activists criticized the mayor’s decision to clear the City Hall camp, saying she’d done so only because Vice President Kamala Harris came to St. Louis for a Democratic National Committee meeting.
After ordering the camp cleared, Jones issued a statement that said in part, "The City took action to save lives and protect people. Full stop. My administration navigated this complex situation to connect dozens of unhoused residents to shelter and resources while addressing a growing public safety hazard."
Department of Human Services Director Adam Pearson said at the time that the city had 50 beds available for those forced to leave. But some camp residents the RFT spoke with said they were not offered housing.
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