EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — A community prayer will be held in memory of a teen who was killed in East St. Louis last month.
Kyeiontae Stidimire, 14, was shot and killed near his home at the John DeShields Housing Projects. His family told 5 On Your Side he was shooting off fireworks with friends when they heard gunshots, and Kyeiontae was hit and killed instantly.
The prayer will be hosted by East St. Louis leaders with LIVE FREE, a campaign of Faith in Action that focuses on ending mass incarceration and gun violence.
Those participating in the prayer will gather on the basketball court at Old Lincoln High School at 1211 Bond Avenue. Anyone planning to attend should wear a mask, according to a press release.
“Kyeiontae was minding his business and playing with friends when he was randomly shot and killed. No child or their family should have to live in terror if they choose to simply step outside of their house, and yet this is what we as a community are faced with every day,” said Elder Carolyn Rice-Smith of Empowerment of Grace church. “We must bring an end to this and stop allowing our children to become statistics through no fault of their own.”
The prayer will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
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CUT SHORT IN ST. LOUIS
"CUT SHORT: Unsolved Killings of St. Louis Children" is an initiative of KSDK 5 On Your Side and its community outreach program, "Project 5," to raise awareness of the unchecked violence against children in the City of St. Louis from the summer of 2019 to present.
We're dedicated to telling their stories, following the criminal investigations and shining a light on the reasons for gun violence in our city. We won't let up.
Please join us in this important campaign seeking justice for our youth by sharing these stories about their young lives cut short, reaching out to elected officials and supporting the worthy organizations in St. Louis working to make our city's neighborhoods safer places to raise families.
