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Little league team not backing down after practices interrupted by gunfire

"I want to protect my players that are here, but I also know that we want to show them that we are not going to cower against fear," said Coach Aaron Lumpkin.
Credit: KSDK
Police officers were at the team's game on Tuesday to make sure everything was OK.

ST. LOUIS — The parents of youth baseball players are concerned about the safety of their children after the team's practice was interrupted by gunfire.

It happened twice during the Redbird Rookies' baseball practice. The first was on July 2 and the second happened Monday night. No one was injured.

Coach Aaron Lumpkin, with the Redbird Rookies team which meets on Tuesdays, said his team was not present during either of the two shootings.

Lumpkin and his team of players and parents are concerned about the incidents, but they will not be deterred from practicing and playing at Fox Park.

“For me, as a parent, I'm concerned because I want to protect my kids,” Lumpkin said. “I want to protect my players that are here, but I also know that we want to show them that we are not going to cower against fear.”

As a precaution, St. Louis police were at Tuesday night’s game.

“We've gotten from our police captain that there will be foot patrol during all of our practices,” explained Becky Reinhart, the Director of Community Health Initiatives at DeSales Community Development, which partners with the Red Bird Rookies. “And that was extremely meaningful to parents to know how seriously this is being taken, that this park is a safe place for their kids.”

St. Louis Police have released surveillance photos of the suspect and his Honda Civic. Police think the suspect fired shots in the 2700 block of Victor and the 2600 block of Cherokee. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (866) 371-8477.

5 On Your Side looked into the crime statistics in the Fox Park neighborhood this year. Overall, crime is down in the area by almost 19 percent, but over the past year, assaults with involving firearm is up 120 percent.

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