1 killed, 4 hurt in overnight Fairground Park shooting

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - One person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting in Fairground Park Sunday night.

Police tell First Alert 4 the shooting happened around 11:40 p.m. in the area of the park.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found a 24-year-old man shot in the stomach and a 23-year-old man shot in the back. Both men were taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition.

While on the scene, officers were told about three more victims, a 21-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and a 23-year-old woman. All three were taken to a hospital, where the 21-year-old man died. He was later identified as Maurice Roberts-Parnell of Florissant. The 35-year-old woman was listed in serious but stable condition. The 23-year-old woman was listed in stable condition.

Officers found upwards of 30 shell casings on the scene.

At this time, police are still investigating what led up to the incident but say they know there was a large gathering near the park at the time it occurred.

For Leotis Tate, fishing at Fairground Park every other day is a priority. Tate said he was shocked to hear about the shooting.

“That’s kind of heartbreaking,” Tate said.

Tate said he lives nearby and has heard less gunshots over the last year.

“Shootings have died down. Hearing five people got shot last night and one person died. That’s kind of shocking,” Tate said.

In June 2024, six people were shot near Fairground Park.

First Alert 4 looked into calls for service at the park and found there were 37 calls for service in 2024 and 12 so far in 2025.

SLMPD said those calls only reflect ones directly at the park and not calls that could have come from outside Fairground Park.

Summier Harris spends pretty much every day near Fairground Park.

“Here we go again. It’s basically an everyday thing. A shooting or carjacking. Same thing every day over and over again and we just pray things get better,” Harris said.

Harris said the community is in need of more help and mental health services.

“It seems like the slightest disagreement or argument, it’s going to an escalated violent event,” Harris said. “Kinda feel for the elderly because a lot of them are scared to come out and do their normal activities. I’m remaining hopeful and prayerful things will get better.”

Some neighbors are pushing for the park to be closed.

Tate said that would be a shame and a huge loss to community who use it daily.

“It needs to have more police out here driving or walking or mounted on their horses to deter crime,” Tate said.

SLMPD tells First Alert 4 there will be a review of patrol plans for that area to determine if patrols need to be increased, especially during weekends where people are likely to gather and hang out as the weather warms up.

Alderwoman Laura Keys tells First Alert 4:

The community and I are deeply saddened by the tragic events that unfolded in Fairground Park this past weekend. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this incredibly difficult time. This violence is unacceptable, and we must come together as a community to address the root causes and work towards ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents. We urge anyone with information about these incidents to come forward and help seek justice. Together, we can strive for a safer, more peaceful community.

This was the second incident involving a fatality in the city Sunday night into Monday.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371. Anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous and is interested in a possible cash reward can CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

Copyright 2025 KMOV. All rights reserved.