OLIVETTE, Mo. — A teenage boy fatally shot himself after shooting and killing another teenager Monday morning in Olivette, police said.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department, Olivette officers responded just before 1 a.m. to the report of a shooting at Eden Rock Apartments on Olive Boulevard.
According to a police update, a preliminary investigation showed the 16-year-old got into an argument with the 18-year-old in the apartment building and shot him. The boy then left the building and walked to a nearby field behind the Oliver Apartments. As officers were arriving on scene, they heard a gunshot. Believing they were being fired upon, they called for backup.
Both teens were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe the 16-year-old shot himself.
The teens were identified Tuesday as 16-year-old Mason McMahan and 18-year-old Teriq Lewis-Rushing.
Several neighbors, including Dwayne Garrett, watched this play out right in front of their home.
"I heard gunshots. Before I actually got up, I heard two booms. Both sides of the street were filled with cops. They were all jumping out of their cars and running towards the Oliver apartments with long rifles drawn," said Garrett.
The St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons assumed the ongoing investigation at the request of the Olivette Police Department.
Morgan Standifer lives at Eden Rock apartments and said she woke up to police surrounding her building.
"I'm thinking to myself, what is going on? What is this about? I didn't know anything at all. It was kind of crazy to see all of those cops and not know what's going on. I'm 20, so I'm assuming they were probably around my age. It's like, what are we doing? We're kids. This is ridiculous," Standifer said.
Police are still investigating what led up to the teenagers arguing and how they knew each other.
Olive Boulevard was closed for several hours as police continued to investigate. It reopened at about 6 a.m.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was asked to contact St. Louis County police at 636-529-8210. To remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
5 On Your Side reached out to Eden Rock and the Oliver Apartments who both could not comment on the case.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged from the emergency department after being shot.