ST. LOUIS — Police say on a midafternoon summer day, bullets ripped across the air in a south St. Louis neighborhood.
Officers arrived and learned a 8-year-old boy had been shot. A 16-year-old girl was injured by a bullet, which didn't penetrate her skin.
"A lot of our kids feel like they're living in war zones," says Rev. Darryl Gray of St. Louis.
Investigators say two groups of teens had an argument behind a home near Ohio Avenue and Osage Street.
Police say one of the teens walked to a car, grabbed a gun, fired multiple shots and then took off.
Paramedics rushed the wounded boy and girl to a hospital.
Hours later, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the hip in the 3300 block of Itaska Street. He was taken to the hospital, but there is no word of his condition.
So far this year at least 52 kids, just 17 or younger, have been shot in the city.
"We've got to begin to address it," Gray says.
The disturbing numbers have outraged him.
"The easy access to guns by children, that's got to be dealt with immediately," adds the frustrated pastor.
Gray calls the violence in St. Louis "a state problem."
He's pleading to city, county and state officials to unite and address crime, now.
"Right now, our children being shot down in the street, that needs to be the No. 1 priority of the city of St. Louis and the governor."
"We have so many ways that we can combat this," says St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell.
Bell says in addition to combating the crime problem, leaders must also provide more anger management, mental health care, drug treatment and other services to people, before they turn to violence.
"If we get them treatment, get them help early, they are significantly less likely to escalate to the violence," Bell says.
Police say the vitals of the 8-year-old boy and teen girl "were stable" as of Thursday night.
Detectives were also still looking for the young suspect.
Editor's note: Police updated the ages of the children injured in the shootings Friday morning. This update reflects the new information from police.