An overnight shooting at a party in downtown St. Louis early Sunday left a 17-year-old boy dead and nine other teens injured.
St Louis Metropolitan Police said they have one person in custody, a 17-year-old boy, who was in possession of firearms when he was arrested, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Police identified the fatal victim as Makao Moore. They said two 19-year-old men, an 18-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy, three 16-year-old girls, and a 15-year-old girl were wounded in the gunfire, according to KMOV. A 17-year-old girl suffered injuries to her spine when she was trampled while trying to get out of the building after the gunfire started.
Police said the shooting took place at a planned party in an office building at 14th and Washington Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Police Chief Robert Tracy said officers were in the area conducting patrols and guiding traffic when they saw people quickly exiting the building.
Investigators said they found shell casings from multiple firearms on the scene and recovered several guns, including an AR-style rifle.
Officials said on Sunday that the party had been advertised on social media, with those wanting to attend having to message the organizers, the Post-Dispatch said. Police didn’t say how the organizers accessed the space, which was on the fifth floor of a 100-year-old loft building that had glass-walled suites housing offices for tutoring centers and home health care providers and salons by hair stylists, makeup artists, and massage therapists.
On Sunday morning, the fifth floor was littered with debris, including mounds of broken glass, trash, and cigar wrappers. A bloody handprint graced one wall.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said the city was working to address what some business owners and downtown residents said was rampant and out of control crime by teens in the downtown area. But, she said, the problem wasn’t just a St. Louis problem — teens from areas outside the city were part of the issue too.
“I need families to hear me loud and clear: Downtown is not a 1 a.m. destination for your 15-year-old,” she said. “It is not a place to drop children off unsupervised.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: KMOV]
