ST. LOUIS — A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot late Friday night in the lobby of a Washington Avenue loft building, police said.
The slain teen was identified by St. Louis police as Terrion Smith of the 4700 block of Newberry Terrace in north St. Louis.
Smith was found shot multiple times around 11:20 p.m. just inside the front door of the Ely Walker lofts at 1520 Washington Avenue in the city's Downtown West neighborhood. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Smith's mother, Nedra Smith, said he was a sophomore at Sumner High School and the youngest of her two children.
A resident of the building, James Bowman, called the crime "shocking."
"I've been here for the last three years, and we haven't had any issues—not like this," he said.
More than two dozen children ranging in age from 5-17 have been shot this year, according to 5 On Your Side data. Smith is the first child to die from his injuries.
"Guns are not the answer," said St. Louis Alderman James Page, whose ward includes the building where the shooting happened. "It's just a heartbreaking tragedy whenever anything of this sort happens anywhere in the city of St. Louis."
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call 314-444-5371 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).