ST. LOUIS — Ringing in 2022 turned out to be a dangerous time for several people in St. Louis.
Around 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve, a 39 year-old-man told officers he was driving east on Natural Bridge Avenue near Goodfellow Boulevard when he heard gunfire.
Officers went to a hospital and learned the driver suffered a gunshot wound to his back.
A 15-year-old female passenger was struck in her arm.
Three hours later in a separate incident in north St. Louis, a 41-year-old man said he was in the 8800 block of North Broadway in the Baden Neighborhood when gunshots rang out and he immediately felt pain.
And it wasn't over.
Shortly after the stroke of midnight, more celebratory gunfire ripped across the 7100 block of Field Ave. in south St. Louis.
Officers showed up and learned a 14-year-old girl was outside a home watching fireworks when a stray bullet came down and hit her in her arm.
She, too, was taken to a hospital.
In all, St. Louis police said from 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 2 p.m. on New Year's Day there were more than 700 gunfire-related calls in the city. More than 500 similar calls were reported around the same time last year.
As of Saturday night, investigators had not made any arrests in any of the shootings.
Police asked anyone with information to call 314-444-5371 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).