On June 2, 2024, St. Louis resident John Christmas was killed at the Crown Food Mart Phillips 66 on North Kingshighway. Exactly one year later, his brother is calling for the gas station’s closure.
Jerryl Christmas stood outside the station on Monday, chanting into a megaphone, “shut them down” and encouraging customers driving into the parking lot to shop somewhere else.
“It’s difficult to be here, but my brother’s with me, so I have the strength to be here,” Christmas said.
Christmas was telling customers to drive down the street to a black-owned BP rather than supporting the Phillips 66 station.
“It’s important for us to support other Black businesses, because that’s how the Black businesses grow,” Christmas said.
Since 2018, the gas station has been the site of several violent crimes and shootings. Christmas’ attorney Jermaine Wooten said that in the past year, about 250 calls for emergency services have been made to the station.
“If we had gotten maybe 50 calls at any normal residence in this area, St. Louis city actually would have probably vacated that residence,” Wooten said.
Wooten has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the business on behalf of the family.
Christmas also takes issue with the disproportionate number of gas stations in the area, which he said is bad for the community.
“If you start going on the other side of Delmar you won’t see these gas stations lined up and down the street the same way that you do here,” Christmas said. “This is sinking people’s value in their property.”
Christmas said he will continue to fight for the closure of the business in honor of his brother.
