Community Corner
'He Did Nothing To Deserve It;' Family Remembers Man Killed In South City Shooting On Christmas Eve
Destiny Barnett is grieving the loss of the father of her child.

December 29, 2020
Destiny Barnett is grieving the loss of the father of her child, 21-year-old Chris Rea. Police said Rea was shot and killed inside his car in the 8100 block of S. Broadway early in the morning of Christmas Eve. "I never in a million years would have thought I'd be telling my baby like, 'Your daddy went to heaven early," said Barnett. Police have not announced any arrests in the case, but Barnett and Rea's family said they want justice and will not sit back quietly. The City of St. Louis has seen a surge in violent crime in 2020, surpassing 260 homicides as of Monday.
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City police department data lists 261 homicides so far this year, compared to 194 in all of 2019. In addition, 71 percent of this year's homicide cases remain unsolved. A GoFundMe pageβ has been created to help pay for Rea's funeral.