ST. LOUIS — A 10-year-old girl was injured when she was hit by stray gunfire in St. Louis' Penrose neighborhood.
According to an incident report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the 10-year-old girl was struck in the arm by gunfire on the 4800 block of Bessie Avenue at around 6 p.m. Sunday.
Police said the incident started with a 16-year-old boy shooting a gun into the air. A 25-year-old man then pulled out his own gun and started shooting at the 16-year-old. Police said the gunfire from the 25-year-old man struck the 10-year-old girl, who was standing outside.
Police said the girl was conscious and breathing when officers arrived. She was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The 25-year-old ran off before officers arrived. The 16-year-old was taken into custody and turned over to the juvenile court system.
The 10-year-old girl is the seventh child under the age of 18 shot in the city of St. Louis in 2022.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
