ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A child has died after he shot himself in a north St. Louis County apartment Thursday afternoon.
Police said they received a call to respond to a shooting in the 9500 block of Jacobi Avenue around noon. A short time later, two officers were flagged down by the boy's mother in the 9800 block of Halls Ferry Road. Police said the woman was driving erratically. After they stopped to help the woman, they found the 3-year-old boy was in the car suffering from a gunshot wound.
Police said two St. Louis County police officers provided treatment to the child in the back of one of their patrol cars while another officer drove to the hospital. 'Despite their efforts and the efforts of medical professionals, the 3-year-old boy passed away,' police said.
Police said their investigation discovered the boy was in the apartment with his parents when he found an unsecured gun in the bedroom. They said he accidentally shot the gun, striking himself.
The boy has been identified as Rodney March III.
Westview Middle School is located blocks from the shooting scene. A spokesperson for the Riverview Gardens School District said no schools were put on lockdown.
Sky5 showed a scene of several police cars at Laurel Park Apartments.
St. Louis County Police Chaplains have responded to assist members of the department impacted by their response and actions to this incident.
In 2019, 20 children have been shot and killed in the St. Louis area.