Police continue searching area where suspect was fatally shot by marshals

The man wanted for questioning in a brutal carjacking Sunday in St. Louis was shot nine times, according to a Friday afternoon autopsy.

Police shot and killed Devante Gates, 21 of East St. Louis, during a Thursday afternoon shootout in Washington Park. The autopsy showed he was shot seven times in the chest and once in each leg, according to St. Clair County Coroner Rick Stone.

Gates was spotted about 2 p.m. in the 5100 block of Eastgate Street. An eyewitness said police commanded Gates to drop his gun at least three times before Gates fired on police.

Gates also was wanted in connection with a separate East St. Louis homicide.

Investigators were back at the Washington Park site Friday as they continued to investigate the shooting.

“Illinois State Police are doing an extensive search of the heavily overgrown area where Gates was shot,” said Calvin Dye Jr., Illinois State Police public information officer. Dye said the investigation was almost complete.

“Everything will be presented to the State’s Attorney’s office to determine whether the shooting was justified,” Dye said.

Gates and a Belleville teen were suspects in a St. Louis carjacking on Sunday that left a driver dead and a baby dumped in the street.

Police already charged the Belleville teen, Ross Randolph, 19, with the murder of Brandi Hill, 21, of O’Fallon, Mo. Police say Gates and Randolph walked up to Hill’s car, and her 9-month pregnant passenger got nervous and started rolling up her window.

The suspects yanked open the car door, shot Hill in the head and forced the passenger out. Several blocks away they discovered an infant in the back seat and tossed the baby out into the street.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Randolph with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, first-degree robbery, two counts of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child. Bail was set at $1 million, cash only.

Gates was a defendant in several misdemeanor and petty cases in St. Clair County, including possession of marijuana, resisting police, obstructing police, criminal trespass and curfew violation.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Police continue searching area where suspect was fatally shot by marshals."