Incident Overview
Just after 9:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) District 6 officers responded to a shooting at St. Louis Fish and Chicken in the 5000 block of Goodfellow Boulevard, in the Walnut Park West neighborhood of North St. Louis. They found Reginald Holmes, 23, of St. Louis County, unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound. Holmes died at the scene.
According to a preliminary SLMPD account, a group of young males attempted to rob Holmes of his belongings. He resisted, and one of the males shot him and fled. Homicide detectives were reported to be leading the investigation.
The suspects remained at large and were described publicly only as a group of young males. No arrests had been announced as of the research reviewed for this report, and no suspect descriptions beyond that had been released. Crime Victim Justice does not have any suspect count or description beyond what police have stated, and none should be assumed.
This report is based on the early coverage available at the time of writing (September 4 to 5, 2026), led by the SLMPD's public release and corroborated by local outlets. Key details were still developing: the specifics of the robbery beyond the attempted taking of Holmes's belongings, and any suspect identities, remained open. The account will be updated as the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department releases additional information.
Reginald Holmes, 23
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department identified the man killed as Reginald Holmes, 23, of St. Louis County. Reporting frames Holmes as the target of the attempted robbery - a person at the location rather than an employee or the business operator. His name and age are published here because the police, as the primary source, released them; consistent with this site's commitment to accuracy, this report does not add personal details that officials have not released and does not speculate about Holmes or the people involved. This page may be updated as verified information becomes available.
Active Homicide Investigation - No Arrests
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's homicide detectives were reported to be leading the investigation. The department's public release confirms the date and time, Holmes's identity and age, the 5000 block of Goodfellow address, the robbery-resistance sequence, and that the case is being handled as a homicide.
As of the coverage reviewed for this report, no arrests had been announced and the suspects had been described only as a group of young males, with no further descriptions released. The core account is drawn from the SLMPD release and corroborated by local outlets including FOX 2 and KMOV, with additional neighborhood context reported by an outlet that labels its articles AI-assisted; that context is attributed below and should be confirmed against primary sources before it is relied upon.
Location & Context
St. Louis Fish and Chicken is a quick-service, carryout restaurant in the 5000 block of Goodfellow Boulevard, in the Walnut Park West neighborhood of North St. Louis (SLMPD District 6). It is open to the public and was operating in the evening; the shooting occurred just after 9:00 p.m. on a Friday. This report uses the block rather than a specific street number, which was not confirmed in the coverage reviewed.
The Goodfellow corridor has a documented recent history of gunfire. On August 24, 2025, a 46-year-old man, Corey Exum, was shot and killed behind a building on the same 5000 block of Goodfellow, and in August 2024 two bystanders, ages 60 and 65, were struck by gunfire on the same block after being caught in the crossfire of a shootout between occupants of two vehicles; both survived. These prior incidents are attributed in reporting to outlets including KSDK and First Alert 4, some by way of an outlet that labels its articles AI-assisted, and were not independently confirmed for this report; they are noted as reported context relevant to foreseeability, not as established facts, and the exact dates and locations would need to be verified against primary records.
Additional incidents were reported nearby in 2026: a 60-year-old man shot overnight in Walnut Park West near Laura Avenue in early September 2026, a fatal shooting that followed a vehicle crash on the 3500 block of Goodfellow in late August 2026, and a homicide investigation on the 5900 block of Goodfellow farther north in June 2026. Walnut Park West has for years been included in the St. Louis police high-density enforcement zones in North St. Louis, and citywide the city recorded 139 homicides in 2025 - reported as the lowest since 2013 - and 63 through the first half of 2026, per KSDK figures cited in the coverage reviewed. These figures are neighborhood and citywide context, not statements about this specific restaurant.
No statement from the owner, operator, or any management entity of St. Louis Fish and Chicken appeared in the reviewed coverage. The restaurant appears to be independently operated, but the ownership entity or operator name was not identified in the sources reviewed and is not assumed here; no chain affiliation should be inferred.
Property Details
Property Type: Quick-service, carryout restaurant (St. Louis Fish and Chicken), open to the public and operating in the evening, in the 5000 block of Goodfellow Boulevard.
Neighborhood: Walnut Park West, North St. Louis (SLMPD District 6).
Jurisdiction: City of St. Louis (independent city), Missouri.
Timing: Just after 9:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026 - evening operating hours with the business open to the public.
Incident Sequence: Per a preliminary SLMPD account, a group of young males attempted to rob Reginald Holmes of his belongings; he resisted, and one of the males shot him and fled.
Suspect Status: At large. Described publicly only as a group of young males; homicide detectives are investigating and no arrests had been announced.
Reported Prior Incidents on and Near This Block
August 24, 2025 (reported): A 46-year-old man, Corey Exum, was shot and killed behind a building on the same 5000 block of Goodfellow Boulevard, per reporting attributed to KSDK.
August 2024 (reported): Two bystanders, ages 60 and 65, were struck by gunfire on the same block after being caught in the crossfire of a shootout between occupants of two vehicles; both survived, per reporting attributed to First Alert 4.
2026 nearby (reported): A 60-year-old man was shot overnight near Laura Avenue in early September 2026; a fatal shooting followed a vehicle crash on the 3500 block of Goodfellow in late August 2026; and a homicide investigation centered on the 5900 block of Goodfellow in June 2026.
Verification Needed: These prior incidents come from news coverage, some of it via an outlet that labels its articles AI-assisted, and were not independently confirmed for this report. The exact dates and locations would need to be verified against primary records. They are noted as reported context relevant to foreseeability, not as established facts about this specific property.
What Has Not Been Established
The coverage reviewed did not describe this restaurant's cameras, lighting, security staffing, or access control at the time of the shooting. One outlet noted only that it remained unclear whether surveillance footage from nearby businesses or the city's Real Time Crime Center network captured the shooting - uncertainty about footage, not a confirmed security gap.
The restaurant appears to be independently operated, but the ownership entity or operator name, and the real-property owner or landlord for the Goodfellow Boulevard address, were not identified in the coverage reviewed.
No source reviewed provided a suspect count beyond a group of young males or any suspect description; no such specificity is added here.
Police described an attempted robbery of Holmes's belongings that he resisted. Details beyond that account were not established in the coverage reviewed.
Restaurant Security Standards
Restaurants that are open to the public into the evening, along with the entrances and parking areas around them, are commonly evaluated for exterior camera coverage, adequate lighting, and, in higher-risk locations, a security presence during peak-risk hours. A central premises-security question when a person is robbed and harmed at a business is whether reasonable measures could have reduced the risk of a foreseeable armed confrontation. The following are stated as general industry practice for this property type, not as claims about the specific measures in place at St. Louis Fish and Chicken.
Exterior & Interior Surveillance
Cameras covering the entrance, service area, and exterior approaches, with quality footage and adequate retention, support both deterrence and the after-the-fact investigation of an incident, including capturing activity in the area immediately around the building.
Adequate Lighting
Well-lit entrances, walkways, and any adjacent parking area serve as both a deterrent and a means of natural surveillance, helping staff, patrons, and cameras clearly see a developing confrontation in the evening hours.
Clear Sightlines
Building layout, window placement, and signage that preserve clear views of the entrance and the area outside help staff recognize a developing confrontation before it escalates.
Security Presence in Peak Hours
For businesses operating into the evening in areas with a documented recent history of violence, a trained security presence during peak-risk hours is commonly discussed as a deterrent and a means of early intervention.
Panic Alarms & Rapid Police Contact
Silent alarms or panic buttons that let staff discreetly summon help, together with a clear procedure for contacting 911 at the first signs of an escalating confrontation, support a faster response when a situation turns dangerous.
Staff Awareness & Response
Training staff to recognize the warning signs of a robbery or confrontation, avoid escalation, and alert police early is commonly cited for public-facing businesses operating in higher-risk hours and locations.
Potential Negligent Security Considerations
Under Missouri law, business owners owe their patrons a duty to use reasonable care to protect them from foreseeable criminal acts by third parties. When evaluating premises liability claims involving third-party violence, courts examine whether the business knew or should have known of a risk - often measured against prior crime at the specific site and its immediate vicinity - and whether reasonable measures were in place to address it. The factors below are open questions raised by the facts as reported; they are not findings, and Crime Victim Justice does not assert that any failure occurred at this property.
Several factors may warrant examination regarding this incident:
1 Foreseeability From Documented Block History
The strongest factual basis for a foreseeability discussion here is the documented recent history of gunfire on this exact block, including a reported fatal shooting on the same 5000 block of Goodfellow in August 2025 and a reported double non-fatal shooting on the block in August 2024. Those accounts come from news coverage that was not independently confirmed for this report and would need to be established from primary records, along with any calls-for-service history for this specific address, before they could support a foreseeability analysis. They are presented as reported facts, not legal conclusions.
2 Exterior Lighting and Surveillance
Whether the exterior and any parking area of the restaurant were covered by working, monitored surveillance and adequately lit at roughly 9:00 p.m. is a central question. One outlet noted that it remained unclear whether footage from nearby businesses or the city's Real Time Crime Center network captured the shooting; the coverage reviewed did not describe this restaurant's own surveillance or lighting.
3 Robbery of a Person at the Business
The harm here arose from an attempted robbery of a person at the location who resisted and was shot. Whether the operator, given the documented recent violence along this corridor, had taken any additional security steps - a security presence, camera or lighting upgrades, or closing-hour adjustments - is a question raised by the facts and was not addressed in the coverage reviewed.
4 Security Presence During Evening Hours
Whether any trained security presence covered the property during its evening operation - staff or personnel who could have deterred or interrupted the confrontation - was not addressed in the reporting reviewed.
Missouri Premises Liability & Foreseeability
Missouri courts analyze a business's duty to protect patrons from third-party crime largely through the lens of foreseeability - whether prior incidents or other circumstances made the danger reasonably foreseeable, and whether the business responded with reasonable security measures. Applying that standard here would require records that are not yet public, including any prior-incident and call-for-service history for this specific property and the security measures in place on the night of the shooting. Anyone who believes they have a potential claim arising from an incident like this can have the facts reviewed by an experienced negligent security attorney; the attorneys featured on this site offer free, confidential consultations.
Operator and Property Owner
St. Louis Fish and Chicken appears to be an independently operated restaurant. The ownership entity or operator name, and the real-property owner or landlord for the Goodfellow Boulevard address, were not identified in the coverage reviewed and are not invented here. In a premises liability evaluation, the operating business and the property owner of record can be separate parties with distinct responsibilities defined through the lease and the operating arrangement for the premises.
Elevated-Risk Property Factors
Several elevated-risk conditions are associated with this situation: a public-facing business operating into the evening, and a location on a corridor with a documented recent pattern of violent crime. This report is based only on early coverage from a named law-enforcement source and established news outlets as of September 8, 2026. Several important questions - the property's security measures, its ownership, and the confirmation of the reported prior incidents against primary records - were not answered in that reporting and are not assumed here. The page may be updated as verified information becomes available.
If you or a loved one was affected by a similar incident, the experienced negligent security attorneys featured on this site offer free, confidential consultations to help you understand your legal options.