ST. LOUIS _ The man who was shot to death during a party on a rooftop at Ballpark Village Sunday night was a father of two girls and a newlywed who was celebrating his birthday.
Police identified the dead man as Corey Hall, 38, of Florissant. He was with a friend at the EAT. DRINK. CHILL. event at the Budweiser Brew House across the street from the stadium at about 8 p.m. Sunday when a scuffle broke out.
A man involved in the scuffle pulled a gun and fired. Hall, who police said may have been an innocent bystander, was struck in the head. He was pronounced dead at a hospital just before 2 a.m. Monday.
His friend, 36, was hit in the leg. Police have not released that man's medical condition at a hospital.
Police said between 300 and 400 people attended the event known as a "day party," which starts early enough that partygoers can return home with time to get back to their children and get up for work the next day. The parties typically happen on Sundays, said Kiesha Winston, who said she knew Hall through mutual friends for about nine years.
Hall married his longtime girlfriend, the mother of his youngest daughter, in a ceremony at the Jewel Box in Forest Park on April 15, Winston said. He posted pictures of the ceremony on his Facebook page as did his wife.
"Corey was a dad who loved his daughters," Winston said. "I never knew him to be in the streets or anything like that. My heart breaks for (his wife). ... Even though I didn't know her, I knew her because he put her on such a pedestal."
Hall's wife could not be reached for comment. Relatives gathered at the couple's home in North County Monday morning told a reporter they were not yet ready to speak to the media.
On the night of his wedding, friends posted pictures of the couple celebrating at Ballpark Village. Members of the bridal party donned T-shirts that read, "I Do Crew," while the couple wore T-shirts declaring, "I am the Bride," and "I am the Groom."
Dwayne Gladney said he graduated from Normandy High School with Hall, and Hall's oldest daughter goes to school with Gladney's daughter at Hazelwood Central. He said Hall was a business owner who recently added two trucks to his fleet. In January he shared an old post about 360 Transport: "I'm here if you need me: Store pickups, furniture and appliance delivery, business equipment and apartment and house moves."
Police have not released a description of the shooter.
Ballpark Village has security cameras cameras on the outside of the building, some of which are pointed toward Busch Stadium, with others are focused on the entrances to the entertainment complex.
Signs on the doors warn that guns are not allowed inside.
Police believe the shooter blended in with the panicked crowd to make his escape after the shooting. Witnesses described crying partygoers running from the third-floor shooting scene.
At a press conference about two hours after the shooting, St. Louis Police Maj. Mary Warnecke said investigators were speaking to witnesses, but asked anyone else with information to contact police with immediately.
"We know there were a lot of people who saw this, and we want to hear from them," she said.
The Facebook event for the private, ticketed gathering promised "an afternoon of chill vibes as we introduce our latest nightlife project, EAT. DRINK. CHILL." The event started at 5 p.m. and was set to run until midnight, according to the post.
Social media posts showed patrons enjoying drinks on the rooftop, overlooking the field at Busch.
Several patrons said IDs were checked at the entrance to Ballpark Village, but not bags. There was private security at the event, including off-duty officers, Warnecke said.
"We have lots of security at venues like this, but if someone pulls out their weapon ... it's very difficult to prevent," Warnecke said.
Just after midnight, the Cardinals issued a statement: "We are shocked and saddened by the senseless shooting at a private event at Ballpark Village Sunday night. There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our guests. We are praying for the victims and their families."
