10-year-old shoots, kills 12-year-old while playing with gun
By Dan Greenwald
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — A 10-year-old child shot and killed his 12-year-old brother while he was playing with a gun in North City Tuesday night.
The shooting happened at a home in the 5600 block of Summit Place, which is in the Walnut Park West neighborhood, just before 8:00 p.m. Authorities tell News 4 the siblings were with a parent who was getting a haircut at the home when the tween was shot in the face.
Major Cousins with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said these incidents are happening far too frequently. The shooting comes days after a 12-year-old and 14-year-old were shot and killed in downtown St. Louis. Police are investigating that incident as a murder-suicide. In February, a 12-year-old girl was wounded in an accidental self-inflicted shooting.
“This is like the third incident in a week we’ve had so far. Prior to that, we have sent out information to the alderpersons about receiving gun locks,” Cousins said. “As an agency, we will come out and teach everyone how to use them. We do understand people are going to own guns, however, to protect these children, we want to ensure these guns are secured safely.”
Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, whose ward the shooting on Summit Place happened, said irresponsible gun ownership and senseless killings must stop. Last month, St. Louis Police launched a gun lock initiative by providing free gun locks to the community with the goal to reduce gun violence, accidental shootings, and suicides by firearm.
Through this initiative, responding officers will receive gun locks to provide to families impacted by gun violence, particularly when children are involved, or anyone identified with a firearm and children in the home. Approximately, 4,500 gun locks will be distributed.
On Monday, St. Louis Director of Public Safety Dan Isom also put out a reminder about gun locks.
“No matter how this turns out, I want to remind everyone that the St. Louis Fire department, all 30 stations, have gun locks. We encourage people to go to those stations to get gun locks to secure weapons so we can keep young people safe.”
St. Louis Police will also come out and teach people how to use gun locks.
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