James Carter Obituary, Death; – Authorities have identified a suspect who was killed during a shootout with a St. Louis police officer and an ATF special agent last week, as well as three homicide victims associated with the case.
On Wednesday, five days following the incident, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department named the suspect as James Carter, 61, from St. Louis. Additionally, three presumed homicide victims linked to Carter were identified: Tyrone Mason, 57, and Ariel Eastling, 34, both from St. Louis, and James Rodriguez, 58, from Kinloch, Missouri. The police initially responded to a ShotSpotter alert on May 9 at a residence located in the 5100 block of Wells Avenue, where one homicide victim was discovered deceased outside the home earlier that morning.
According to police reports, Carter exited the residence and briefly conversed with officers before returning inside to retrieve a weapon and open fire. He was subsequently fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with a St. Louis officer and an ATF agent. Following the shootout, the armed suspect and two additional homicide victims were found dead within the residence.
The police have not disclosed which two of the three victims were located inside, although it was previously reported that one man was found deceased outside, while a woman and another man were discovered inside the home. The sequence of events commenced around 4:20 a.m. when St. Louis police responded to a ShotSpotter alert outside the Wells Avenue residence. Upon arrival, officers found one man deceased near the front porch. The St. Louis police then sought assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to aid in the investigation, particularly in obtaining a search warrant for evidence collection.
Subsequently, around 7 a.m., a man later identified as Carter emerged from the home and engaged in a brief dialogue with officers. He then re-entered the residence and emerged armed with a firearm, at which point he began firing shots, resulting in a gunfire exchange. When SWAT teams entered the home, they discovered Carter deceased nearby.
