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Eight (8) murders by January 14, Six last night
Video shows robber who shot killed manager at Drury Inn 6 killed in 13 hours in St. Louis News
UPDATED at 9:15 a.m. with comments from police chief.
ST. LOUIS • The night manager at a Drury Inn & Suites in St. Louis was slain in a robbery attempt early Thursday, part of a bloody stretch that saw six people fatally shot since Wednesday night.
The six were killed in five separate shootings. Police say three of the shootings were over domestic issues where the victim knew the killer; one was a robbery, possibly over drugs; and one was the holdup at the hotel off Hampton Avenue near Interstate 44.
"It had been a very violent night," said St. Louis Police Capt. Michael Sack. "All of our resources are being deployed."
No one has been arrested in any of the killings. In three of the attacks, police have a suspect in mind and are searching for them.
Investigators with the St. Louis Police Department's special operations and intelligence units are helping out, as are district detectives and district officers, Sack said. Commanders and Chief Sam Dotson met at 5 a.m. to share information about the suspects.
The Drury Inn shooting happened at about 2:50 a.m. inside the hotel at 2111 Sulphur Avenue.
The night manager, Scott Knopfel, 50, unlocked a door to let the robber in because he thought he was going to be a hotel patron, Sack said.
The robber entered the Drury Inn lobby and began talking to Knopfel. Then the robber pulled a handgun and vaulted over the counter. There was a struggle as Knopfel and the robber opened the cash draw, and the robber shot Knopfel in the head, Sack said.
The robber jumped back over the counter, put the gun into his waistband and walked out of the hotel. Witnesses say he fled in a dark-colored sedan. Police aren't sure if the killer got any money.
He was described as a black man in his 40s, with a medium build. He was wearing a Chicago Bulls ball cap, a black or brown leather coat, a black T-shirt with a white Adidas logo on the front and baggy, khaki pants.
Police released photos and video of the robber Thursday morning. They said the video doesn't have audio, so they don't know what was said during the robbery.
Knopfel lived in the 6500 block of Southwest Avenue, police said.
The shooting was the fifth homicide in a busy night for detectives, and later Thursday morning, there was a sixth.
SHOOTING SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN
Shortly after 8 a.m., detectives were called to Chouteau Avenue and Tucker Boulevard, just south of downtown, where a victim was fatally shot inside a car. A witness said a man jumped and ran from the car, which drifted into a vehicle stopped on Chouteau for the red light. The driver's side window of a gray sedan was shattered by gunfire.
Jalah Richardson, 26, who lives in an apartment on Tucker, heard six to eight gunshots but brushed it off at first, thinking it was the sound of construction work nearby. "Who would be shooting this early in the morning, in broad daylight?" she thought.
Police followed a blood trail in the area but did not immediately have a description of the man who left the car or say if he was a suspect.
HOME INVASION
The night of violence began about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Cates Avenue, where the victim was fatally shot in a home invasion. The home is near Fountain Park in the city's Academy neighborhood.
Police said a gunman entered a home there through an unlocked door. A 34-year-old man was shot as he ran from the home. He collapsed in the street and was later pronounced dead. The city medical examiner's office identified him as Leon Rivers. A woman at the home was not injured.
Police did not have a detailed description of the gunman.
CHALLENGED TO FIGHT
Then, about 12:35 a.m. Thursday, a man was shot at an apartment complex in the 7800 block of Tennessee Avenue, in the city's Carondelet neighborhood. Police said a man went to his ex-girlfriend's apartment and confronted Kenny Burgett, 19, the woman's new boyfriend. The man challenged Burgett to a fist fight, but when they went outside, the man shot Burgett.
Burgett ran to the nearby 7800 block of Bandero Drive, where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said he was living in the 7800 block of Tennessee. The woman was not hurt.
Police did not release a detailed description of the suspect.
STREET ROBBERY
Less than ten minutes later, at about 12:40 a.m. Thursday, two men were fatally shot during a robbery in the 3500 block of Osage Street, in the Dutchtown neighborhood. Police said three men got out of a car in an alley and approached three other men and talked to them briefly before announcing a robbery.
During the robbery, at least two of the robbers shot at the victims. One man, 21, was shot at but not hit. Eric Lee, 21, was shot twice in the head and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Jerivon Taylor, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police released a surveillance video from near the alley.
POLICE RESPOND
Dotson said in the three cases where police have a suspect in mind, those suspects have extensive criminal histories.
"It emphasizes the level of violence and the availability of guns in the hands of criminals and their willingness to use them — five incidents in six hours, six victims in 12 hours," Dotson said.
Dotson was critical of light judicial sentences and the proliferation of guns.
"Criminals have to know when they're arrested there are consequences," he said. "We have to rely on the courts to have outcomes to keep our community safe. We're not seeing that when a criminal element feels comfortable in rush-hour traffic to approach a vehicle and fire shots at that vehicle."
Authorities asked anyone with information about any of the cases to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
Denise Hollinshed of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Video shows robber who shot killed manager at Drury Inn 6 killed in 13 hours in St. Louis News
UPDATED at 9:15 a.m. with comments from police chief.
ST. LOUIS • The night manager at a Drury Inn & Suites in St. Louis was slain in a robbery attempt early Thursday, part of a bloody stretch that saw six people fatally shot since Wednesday night.
The six were killed in five separate shootings. Police say three of the shootings were over domestic issues where the victim knew the killer; one was a robbery, possibly over drugs; and one was the holdup at the hotel off Hampton Avenue near Interstate 44.
"It had been a very violent night," said St. Louis Police Capt. Michael Sack. "All of our resources are being deployed."
No one has been arrested in any of the killings. In three of the attacks, police have a suspect in mind and are searching for them.
Investigators with the St. Louis Police Department's special operations and intelligence units are helping out, as are district detectives and district officers, Sack said. Commanders and Chief Sam Dotson met at 5 a.m. to share information about the suspects.
The Drury Inn shooting happened at about 2:50 a.m. inside the hotel at 2111 Sulphur Avenue.
The night manager, Scott Knopfel, 50, unlocked a door to let the robber in because he thought he was going to be a hotel patron, Sack said.
The robber entered the Drury Inn lobby and began talking to Knopfel. Then the robber pulled a handgun and vaulted over the counter. There was a struggle as Knopfel and the robber opened the cash draw, and the robber shot Knopfel in the head, Sack said.
The robber jumped back over the counter, put the gun into his waistband and walked out of the hotel. Witnesses say he fled in a dark-colored sedan. Police aren't sure if the killer got any money.
He was described as a black man in his 40s, with a medium build. He was wearing a Chicago Bulls ball cap, a black or brown leather coat, a black T-shirt with a white Adidas logo on the front and baggy, khaki pants.
Police released photos and video of the robber Thursday morning. They said the video doesn't have audio, so they don't know what was said during the robbery.
Knopfel lived in the 6500 block of Southwest Avenue, police said.
The shooting was the fifth homicide in a busy night for detectives, and later Thursday morning, there was a sixth.
SHOOTING SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN
Shortly after 8 a.m., detectives were called to Chouteau Avenue and Tucker Boulevard, just south of downtown, where a victim was fatally shot inside a car. A witness said a man jumped and ran from the car, which drifted into a vehicle stopped on Chouteau for the red light. The driver's side window of a gray sedan was shattered by gunfire.
Jalah Richardson, 26, who lives in an apartment on Tucker, heard six to eight gunshots but brushed it off at first, thinking it was the sound of construction work nearby. "Who would be shooting this early in the morning, in broad daylight?" she thought.
Police followed a blood trail in the area but did not immediately have a description of the man who left the car or say if he was a suspect.
HOME INVASION
The night of violence began about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Cates Avenue, where the victim was fatally shot in a home invasion. The home is near Fountain Park in the city's Academy neighborhood.
Police said a gunman entered a home there through an unlocked door. A 34-year-old man was shot as he ran from the home. He collapsed in the street and was later pronounced dead. The city medical examiner's office identified him as Leon Rivers. A woman at the home was not injured.
Police did not have a detailed description of the gunman.
CHALLENGED TO FIGHT
Then, about 12:35 a.m. Thursday, a man was shot at an apartment complex in the 7800 block of Tennessee Avenue, in the city's Carondelet neighborhood. Police said a man went to his ex-girlfriend's apartment and confronted Kenny Burgett, 19, the woman's new boyfriend. The man challenged Burgett to a fist fight, but when they went outside, the man shot Burgett.
Burgett ran to the nearby 7800 block of Bandero Drive, where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said he was living in the 7800 block of Tennessee. The woman was not hurt.
Police did not release a detailed description of the suspect.
STREET ROBBERY
Less than ten minutes later, at about 12:40 a.m. Thursday, two men were fatally shot during a robbery in the 3500 block of Osage Street, in the Dutchtown neighborhood. Police said three men got out of a car in an alley and approached three other men and talked to them briefly before announcing a robbery.
During the robbery, at least two of the robbers shot at the victims. One man, 21, was shot at but not hit. Eric Lee, 21, was shot twice in the head and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Jerivon Taylor, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police released a surveillance video from near the alley.
POLICE RESPOND
Dotson said in the three cases where police have a suspect in mind, those suspects have extensive criminal histories.
"It emphasizes the level of violence and the availability of guns in the hands of criminals and their willingness to use them — five incidents in six hours, six victims in 12 hours," Dotson said.
Dotson was critical of light judicial sentences and the proliferation of guns.
"Criminals have to know when they're arrested there are consequences," he said. "We have to rely on the courts to have outcomes to keep our community safe. We're not seeing that when a criminal element feels comfortable in rush-hour traffic to approach a vehicle and fire shots at that vehicle."
Authorities asked anyone with information about any of the cases to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
Denise Hollinshed of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
