ST. LOUIS, MO – November 2, 2026 (STL.News) St. Louis emerged among the communities with the highest documented shooting counts in an independent STL.News investigation of gun violence across the United States during Halloween weekend 2026.
The investigation, which examined local newspaper reports, television coverage, police announcements, and law enforcement information nationwide, placed St. Louis tied for third among the cities and reporting areas included in its preliminary comparison, behind Chicago and Philadelphia.
The findings raise renewed concerns about violent crime in the St. Louis region, particularly shootings involving teenagers, neighborhood gatherings, and locations where residents should reasonably expect to feel safe.
The STL.News research register identified six shooting incidents in St. Louis City and County assigned to October 30 through November 1. A seventh reported incident involved a woman discovered fatally shot on Halloween, although investigators had not established precisely when the shooting occurred.
The local reporting documented four deaths and six injuries across those seven incidents, including the uncertain-date case.
A separate shooting in Madison, Illinois, during a youth football championship on Sunday night killed another person and wounded three others, adding to the violence experienced across the greater metropolitan region.
The findings do not establish that St. Louis was the third most violent city in America by an official crime measurement. Rather, the city tied for third in the number of shootings documented among the selected jurisdictions in the STL.News Halloween-weekend research comparison.
That distinction is important, but it does not diminish the seriousness of the local violence.
St. Louis Among Highest Counts in National Review
The broader STL.News investigation compiled 130 reported shooting incidents involving gunshot victims, including 129 assigned to the three-day Halloween reporting period.
The preliminary national research register identified approximately 68 shooting deaths and 194 nonfatal gunshot victims, although some source and casualty details remain unresolved.
The actual nationwide toll may be higher because not every shooting receives substantial news coverage, and police departments do not necessarily release complete incident information immediately.
Among the selected cities, Chicago had 12 documented incidents, followed by Philadelphia with 11. St. Louis and Jacksonville each had six incidents assigned to the reporting period.
Kansas City and Milwaukee followed with five each, while Birmingham, Dallas, and Memphis had four apiece.
The comparison is based on identified incidents, not population-adjusted crime rates or a comprehensive ranking of every American city.
Nevertheless, St. Louis’s position in the research highlights the substantial number of shootings reported during a relatively short holiday period.
Read the full STL.News national investigation: Halloween Shootings Reveal Nationwide Gun Violence
The national report includes a descending city-by-city shooting chart, a review of fatal incidents in smaller communities, and an examination of children and young adults affected by the violence.
Halloween Shootings Leave Four Dead in St. Louis
First Alert 4 documented shootings across St. Louis City and County from Halloween afternoon into Sunday, November 1.
The reported incidents involved residential neighborhoods, a short-term rental gathering, and locations in both the city and county.
In Jennings, St. Louis County police responded to the 8900 block of Shannonaire Drive on Saturday afternoon after a shooting was reported. A man died at the scene, and authorities took a person of interest into custody.
Later that evening, St. Louis Metropolitan Police discovered a 42-year-old woman fatally shot during a welfare check in the Visitation Park neighborhood.
Because the available reporting did not establish when the woman was shot, that case is not included in the six strictly dated shootings used for the national comparison.
In LaSalle Park, a 16-year-old boy was shot multiple times Saturday night in the 1000 block of Hickory Street. He was transported to a hospital and reported in stable condition.
Shortly after midnight Sunday, St. Louis County police responded to a triple shooting in the 4000 block of North Highway 67.
One man died at the scene, another was transported to a hospital, and a third gunshot victim reportedly drove himself to a hospital.
In the Central West End, a Halloween gathering at a short-term rental property ended with a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man wounded.
Both victims reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Sunday morning brought another fatal shooting in Fox Park, where police responded to the 2700 block of Ann Avenue.
A separate shooting in North St. Louis left a man critically injured in the 1700 block of Marcus Avenue on Sunday afternoon.
The incidents occurred at different locations, and authorities have not established that they were connected.
Together, they illustrate the variety of circumstances in which gun violence affected St. Louis residents over the weekend.
Madison Football Shooting Adds to Regional Violence
The violence extended across the Mississippi River into Madison, Illinois.
On Sunday evening, November 1, gunfire erupted during a youth football championship game at Madison Senior High School.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, four people were shot. One person died at the scene, and three others were transported to hospitals in stable condition.
The game involved young athletes, and the shooting caused panic among spectators and families.
Federal authorities announced assistance from the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as investigators sought information from witnesses.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is leading the investigation with Madison police.
The incident occurred separately from the St. Louis City and County shootings used in the national comparison. It should not be added to that city-level count without clearly changing the geographic boundary to the wider metropolitan region.
Nevertheless, the Madison shooting adds another fatal incident to the region’s Halloween-weekend violence.
Teenagers Among St. Louis Shooting Victims
The involvement of teenagers is among the most concerning aspects of the local reports.
A 16-year-old boy was wounded in LaSalle Park, while a 16-year-old girl was injured at the Central West End Halloween gathering.
Both incidents demonstrate that young people can become victims in circumstances ranging from neighborhood activity to private celebrations.
The national STL.News investigation also identified numerous young victims, including children younger than 18 and young adults ages 18 through 20.
The research register contained at least 50 reported victims younger than 21, although that figure is incomplete because the ages of many other victims were unavailable.
These findings raise questions about firearm access, the escalation of personal disputes, and the effectiveness of violence-prevention strategies.
However, one violent weekend does not establish that youth shootings are increasing nationally. A reliable trend analysis would require comparable figures from previous years.
The immediate concern is that teenagers and young adults continue to appear among the victims of serious gun violence.
What Does the Ranking Mean for St. Louis?
The STL.News comparison should not be confused with an official national violent-crime ranking.
It reflects shooting incidents identified through available reporting over a specific three-day period.
Cities differ in population, geographic size, law enforcement reporting practices, and the amount of local news coverage available.
A city with more comprehensive reporting may appear to have more incidents than a jurisdiction where individual shootings receive less attention.
The comparison also does not account for population. Six shootings in one jurisdiction do not necessarily indicate a higher per-capita shooting rate than a larger number in another city.
Still, the findings deserve attention.
St. Louis residents have heard repeated discussions about public safety, police staffing, crime prevention, neighborhood investment, and the need to strengthen confidence in local law enforcement.
The Halloween weekend reports demonstrate that serious gun violence remains a concern despite those ongoing efforts.
A meaningful response requires accurate information, effective investigations, prevention programs, cooperation among law enforcement agencies, and community engagement.
It also requires understanding that gun violence is not confined to one neighborhood or one type of gathering.
A Continuing Challenge for St. Louis
The Halloween weekend shootings affected families, teenagers, residential neighborhoods, and community gatherings across the St. Louis region.
Four deaths and six injuries were reported in the seven St. Louis City and County incidents covered by the initial local roundup, including the fatality whose shooting date remains uncertain.
The separate Madison, Illinois, shooting added another death and three injuries to the wider regional picture.
For the families who lost loved ones, the consequences are permanent. For surviving victims, the effects may include lengthy recoveries and emotional trauma.
The national STL.News investigation demonstrates that St. Louis was far from alone in experiencing violence over Halloween weekend.
However, being one of several affected cities does not lessen the need to address the problem locally.
St. Louis tied for third in the preliminary STL.News comparison of documented Halloween-weekend shootings among selected cities. The finding is not an official national crime ranking, but it is a serious reminder that reducing gun violence must remain a public safety priority.
Residents deserve safe neighborhoods, safe celebrations, and confidence that local authorities and community organizations are working to prevent future tragedies.
Sources and References
- First Alert 4 — Police Respond to Multiple Shootings Across the Bi-State Region, November 1, 2026.
- STL.News — Two Shot at Central West End Halloween Party, November 2, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Justice — Federal Assistance in Madison Youth Football Shooting Investigation, November 2, 2026.
- First Alert 4 — One Killed, Three Injured at Madison Youth Football Game, November 2, 2026.
- STL.News National Halloween 2026 Shooting Investigation: Compiled local reporting and law enforcement information covering October 30 through November 1, 2026. Read the national investigation.
Editorial Disclaimer
Research and ranking clarification: This article references a preliminary STL.News investigation comparing documented Halloween-weekend shootings in selected American cities. The comparison is not an official national violent-crime ranking, does not adjust for population, and does not establish that St. Louis had the third-highest shooting count among every city in the United States.
Six St. Louis City and County shooting incidents were assigned to the October 30–November 1 reporting period. One additional fatal shooting was discovered during that period, but the precise incident date remains unknown.
The broader national figures are provisional and may change as additional records become available. The actual number of shootings nationwide may exceed the incidents identified in the research.
All criminal allegations remain subject to investigation, and anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
