WANTED: Suspects caught on camera in Cinco De Mayo weekend shooting on Cherokee Street

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Two people were killed and two others injured in a shooting on Friday on Cherokee Street in St. Louis, just hours before a street festival on the same block. During the festival, two more people were shot, both in the leg.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police said the Friday night shooting happened around 10 p.m. at the Exotic Bar, 2837 Cherokee Street, on Friday. A man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to his side. In addition, a man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the hospital after being shot in his head and chest.

The two victims were later identified by police as 25-year-old Rayon Caffey and 44-year-old Eric Taylor.

When the shooting happened, nearby businesses were preparing for the street’s big Cinco de Mayo festival, happening Saturday afternoon. Brittany Morris is the owner of Love Goddess Healing Oasis, and she says her windows were shot out last night, the second time in less than a year.

“We heard the gunshots, and then the crash boom of glass, and I was like ‘is that my glass,’” Morris said. “It was a lot of screaming afterwards. A lot of people on the street bleeding, crying. It was not good.”

Morris says all of her employees scrambled to safety, but she says the shooting dampened the mood for Saturday’s festival.

“I don’t like the fact that we are celebrating today given that we just had violence last night,” Morris said. “It’s fine and dandy right now, but what’s going to happen tonight?”

Edwin Campos works at Diana’s bakery a few stalls down from the shooting’s location. He says they are trying to look on the bright side.

“We understand that it happens, but we can move past it,” Campos said. “Having a whole festival shows we’re creating love, hospitality in the whole community.”

According to SLMPD, when officers first arrived on scene Friday night, they found a 34-year-old man inside the bar with gunshot wounds to his thigh and elbow. A tourniquet was applied to the man, and he was transported to the hospital, listed in serious but stable condition. The fourth victim was a 24-year-old woman who was grazed by a bullet on her foot after being near Cherokee Street during the time of the incident.

SLMPD said the Saturday night shooting happened just before 7:30 p.m. on the 2700 block of Cherokee, where two people were shot in the leg and the other sustained a graze wound to his upper thigh. One of the victims told police she was standing near an intersection observing a fight take place when one of the suspects began waving a firearm around. The suspect then fired a gunshot, striking the victims.

The suspects in the Saturday Cinco de Mayo shooting are described by SLMPD as:

• Female, 5′4″-5′6″, medium build, light brown complexion, orange braids, wearing a long sleeve black shirt with a large white Adidas logo on the front, white pants, and black/white shoes
• Male, 5′8″-5′10″, light brown complexion, medium build, with long black braided hair, wearing a white Cardinals jersey, a white undershirt, light blue jeans with horizontal tears at both knees, and white shoes

Monday, police released surveillance photos of the suspects.

The Homicide Division responded and assumed the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371, or anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous and is interested in a reward can contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

News 4 will update this story once more information has been released.

Copyright 2023 KMOV. All rights reserved.