Police release identities of Madison shooting victims; one dead

The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been activated after two people were shot early Tuesday in Madison.

Major Case Squad Deputy Commander Lt. Mike Nordstrom said the deceased was identified as 31-year-old Roderick D. Williams. The other victim in the case was identified as 23-year-old James A. Moore. Authorities said both were from Madison.

In a news release Tuesday afternoon, Major Case Squad detectives said they were continuing their investigation.

GUEST BOOK: Roderick D. Williams

Makeshift memorials appeared Tuesday morning alongside the intersection of Seventh Street and Alton Avenue where the men were gunned down while a village worker in a street sweeper attempted to clean blood stains off the road.

Shawn Barnes, a deacon at the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church complex at the intersection where the shootings happened, said he was shocked to learn about gunfire so close to the place where a summer day camp was taking place hours later.

“We’re very concerned when something like this happens,” Barnes said. “It’s a pretty peaceful neighborhood. Fortunately no one was here at the time (of the shooting.)”

Police have not released specifics about the shooting. But neighbors said it happened shortly after midnight.

“I go to bed at 9 p.m. and I sleep hard,” neighbor Michelle Hunt said. “I didn’t hear a thing. When I woke up I saw the police cars and couldn’t believe it.”

Hunt said she didn’t know the victims.

According to police, one of the men who was shot, later identified as Williams, died from his wounds after he arrived at an area hospital. The other victim, Moore, was rushed to a St. Louis hospital. An update on his condition was not immediately available.

According to an early release from Nordstrom, there were 16 Major Case Squad investigators working on the case Tuesday morning. Nordstrom said their work on the case was “in its very early stages.”

The Major Case Squad asked that anyone with information about the case contact the St. Louis Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-8477. Authorities said a $5,000 cash reward was put up for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 6:48 AM with the headline "Police release identities of Madison shooting victims; one dead."