5 homicides in first hours of 2020 in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – The new year is off to a bloody start in St. Louis, with five people shot to death on New Year’s Day.

Three of the victims were killed in one incident. Police were called shortly after midnight to an intersection in the Benton Park neighbourhood, where the victims were found dead. A fourth person was shot in the leg but survived.

Police have not released details about the victims or what led to the shooting.

Just before 3 a.m., police were called to another location and found a man dead from gunshots. Another person at that scene was hospitalized.

Another man was gunned down around 11 a.m. on the city’s north side. Police found the man unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

In 2019, St. Louis recorded 194 homicides, up from 186 in 2018. The 2019 victims included 11 children.