Victim identified in fatal Midtown shooting near SLU campus

ST. LOUIS – Homicide detectives with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department say the victim and suspect in Tuesday’s fatal shooting in Midtown knew each other.

Police identified the victim as Jaylen French of Florissant. French was shot just before 2 p.m. near Lindell Boulevard and Spring Avenue, feet away from the northern edge of St. Louis University’s campus. French was 25.

The suspect, identified only as a 19-year-old man, was found shot in the 3700 block of Lindell. He was taken to a hospital and is said to be in critical condition as of Tuesday evening.

Neither man is affiliated with the university.

“It appears at this time that the individuals were known to each other and the incident was the result of a dispute,” St. Louis police Captain Christi Marks said. “There was one firearm involved in the incident, and at some point there was a struggle over the firearm, which resulted in the suspect being shot.”