Updated at 6:45 p.m. with comments from Bi-State Development and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — The man shot and killed Tuesday evening at the South Grand Boulevard Metro station in St. Louis was longtime St. Louis County Health Department Public Information Officer Craig LeFebvre, St. Louis police said Wednesday.
According to police, LeFebvre was waiting at the bus stop on the bridge above the Grand MetroLink station, where people were arguing. One of the men shot LeFebvre, who was not involved in the argument, and another man. LeFebvre later died at a nearby hospital. He was 48.
The other victim was taken to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition, according to police.
Police are investigating the shooting and have not yet found the suspect.
LeFebvre worked in the public health department for more than a decade. As a communications officer, he often shared health information with the media and the public. Recently, he had been working on outreach education involving tobacco cessation, opioid addiction and other public health issues. One program he worked on was the St. Louis ReCast Project, which helds kids with health problems related to trauma and gun violence.
His death has deeply affected colleagues, St. Louis County Chief Medical Officer Emily Doucette said.
"We see gun violence as a major public health issue," Doucette said. "Craig was involved in programs in this area. It was something that we understand and work on every day."
LeFebvre was a strong booster of public transit who used the Metro daily to get to work.
"He was a real advocate of the public sector and of public services," Doucette said. "He served on the election board. He was a big advocate of public schools and public transit. It's true, he did not own a car."
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger released a statement Wednesday morning offering sympathies to LeFebvre’s family, friends and coworkers.
“He distinguished himself as a hard-working public servant, a dependable employee and a friend to his fellow staff members,” Stenger wrote. "He will be deeply missed.”
Officials for Bi-State Development, which operates the MetroBus and MetroLink systems, have said ridership has decreased within the past year because of residents’ fears about public safety, according to other media reports.
In an emailed statement, Bi-State Development President John Nations wrote that Metro “is not immune to the deadly violence occurring in municipalities served by public transit.”
“We wish we could prevent tragedies like this one from ever occurring in our region, where innocent bystanders are killed while walking down the sidewalk, driving down the street or even waiting for their bus,” Nations wrote.
Metro announced Wednesday it is offering a $1,000 award for information to help find the shooter. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Crimestoppers is offering a $5,000 award.
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