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Darwin Maldonado-Vargas

Age :

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 05/18/2026

Location : Washington Avenue near the Missouri Athletic Club

City : St. Louis

County : St. Louis City

State : Missouri

Agency : St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during disturbance investigation

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 05/20/2026 at approximately 11:00 p.m., St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire near North 10th Street and Locust Street in downtown St. Louis, adjacent to the Missouri Athletic Club. When officers arrived, they encountered two men involved in an armed confrontation. Officers observed one of the men, later identified by family members as Darwin Maldonado-Vargas, armed with a handgun.
According to police, officers gave commands during the encounter as they attempted to intervene. An SLMPD officer fired his service weapon, striking Maldonado-Vargas. Officers secured the handgun and immediately rendered emergency medical aid until St. Louis Fire Department paramedics arrived. Maldonado-Vargas was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The second individual involved in the confrontation remained at the scene and was detained while homicide detectives and crime scene investigators processed the area. Investigators recovered physical evidence, including the firearm, interviewed witnesses, and collected surveillance video from nearby downtown businesses to determine the events leading to the shooting.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Force Investigation Unit assumed responsibility for investigating the officer's use of deadly force, while homicide detectives conducted the criminal investigation into the underlying shooting. The involved officer was placed on administrative duty in accordance with department policy pending completion of the investigation. Family members subsequently identified the deceased as Darwin Maldonado-Vargas. I could not verify any public release identifying the involved officer or announcing final prosecutorial findings.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/slmpd-officer-shoots-person-near-missouri-athletic-club/