ST. LOUIS — The night CBC student Colin Brown was shot, multiple bystanders tried to help the teen before first responders arrived.
The 16-year-old ultimately died the day before Thanksgiving, days after being struck by a stray bullet on northbound Interstate 55 in St. Louis while riding home from a hockey game. Investigators believe the gunfire occurred in the southbound lanes.
Colin was in the car with his father, Calvin Brown, a retired lieutenant colonel with Illinois State Police.
More than a week later, Kennedy Schmitz and her friend Lily Paniucki met and went over that night.
"It has given me a lot of perspective on how fragile life is," Schmitz told 5 On Your Side.
A talented Colin Brown had his eyes set on becoming an orthopedic surgeon. His obituary said his life was cut short before he could fulfill his dream of attending the University of Michigan and pursuing a career in medical school.
The obituary said his little brother Liam was his best friend and he loved traveling with his family and exploring new cities with his father while on their many hockey game weekend trips. Colin was a big fan of Marvel movies and had an insatiable love for Reese's Cups.
"So, the next time you enjoy one, raise a toast to Colin," the obituary said.
The CBC student and hockey player had a bright future and it was all ripped away Nov. 23.
It's a night Schmitz and Paniucki remember well. The two from St. Peters made their way to downtown St. Louis for a birthday.
"It was my friend's 21st birthday and she's actually in town from Kansas City. So we rented her a party bus and we were at Ballpark Village. They all got out, Lily and I stayed on the bus because we're under 21," Schmitz shared.
She said this was about 10 p.m. and they waited in the parking lot for about 15 minutes or so before she suggested they go to a nearby gas station.
"We're on the way back from the gas station and that's when we stopped at the red light. Then we thought we heard somebody yelling, but we didn't know for sure," Schmitz said.
At first, they thought it was noise coming from the bus driver's phone, since they were playing videos.
Once the driver turned off the phone, they realized the yelling was coming from outside of the bus.
Both 20-year-olds asked the driver to open the doors. As they stepped outside, both were confused by the commotion.
They'd learn it was Calvin Brown.
"His dad was holding his neck and then we finally figured like, pieced together what happened, because he's saying, 'My kid's been shot, Colin's been shot, he's been shot!'" Schmitz recalled.
From there, she said Paniucki checked for a heartbeat and Schmitz called police.
"We had Calvin pull Colin out and then he put him on the ground and then that's when Lily started doing chest compressions," Schmitz added.
Paniucki just graduated as an EMT and Schmitz stepped in too.
Schmitz said all three were doing CPR. She also acknowledged other helpful bystanders.
"After 10 minutes or even longer of that of her (Lily) doing it, another guy steps in, like another civilian steps in and started doing chest compressions because she looked like she was getting tired, and then after that, EMS stepped in," Schmitz shared.
Schmitz and Paniucki wished the response time could've been quicker.
A St. Louis police spokesperson released the following response timeline:
- At 10:36, the initial call from Colin's father was made on the highway
- At around 10:41, Colin's father made his way to downtown St. Louis, where he stopped the car.
- At 10:45, EMS said it secured the scene in downtown St. Louis
- At 10:52, police were alerted the teen was en route to the hospital
5 On Your Side is still waiting to hear back from the St. Louis Fire Department, which has response times regarding the ambulance.
Four days later, Colin died on Nov. 27. As an organ donor, Colin was able to save four people.
Schmitz also saluted Calvin Brown for doing everything he could for his son.
"I am proud of him, he handled it so well... he did everything he could in that moment in that night," Schmitz added.
Monday morning, CBC hosted a memorial in remembrance of Colin.
Donations in Colin’s memory to assist other aspiring students can be made to CBC High School by contacting the school at 314-985-6100.
Charitable donations can also be made to DAWG Nation. As of Monday morning, more than $100,000 was raised, which includes the DAWG Nation match.
The Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation honors officers and supports families of Illinois State Police. Currently, it is accepting donations for the Brown family. To donate, click here.
Affton Hockey and CBC designed a hoodie and t-shirt to honor Colin. All proceeds from the sale of the apparel will benefit the Brown family. Order online here until December 10.
There's also a coat drive to honor Colin's compassion and commitment to helping others.
Family friend Karen Schrodt said, "The response to the coat drive has been overwhelming. We've had people reaching out from all over the country, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, and of course, the STL area, donating coats. We have already WAY surpassed the goal of #72 and have decided to make this an annual event in Colin's memory."
A memorial visitation will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, from 4:00-9:00 p.m. at Christian Brothers College High School.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. at Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
CrimeStoppers has increased its reward up to $25,000. It said friends, family, and anonymous donors helped to increase the reward.
If you have any information on this shooting that happened Nov. 23 at around 10:30 on Interstate 55, you can call 1-866-371-8477.
