Police are investigating a mass shooting in St. Louis, Missouri, that left one person dead and nine others injured early Sunday, authorities said. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said the 10 victims were juveniles between the ages of 15 and 19.
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of 14th Street and Washington Avenue in the city’s downtown area, St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy said at a news conference. Officers stationed in the area initially saw a large group running from a building near the intersection. A short time later, officers received multiple calls reporting shots fired on the fifth floor of the building.
KKTV
Preliminary investigations indicated that a group of youths were attending a party on the fifth floor of the building, which is believed to be an office space, when the shooting took place. When officers arrived at the scene they found 10 youths with gunshot wounds.
A 17-year-old boy was pronounced dead, and nine other victims, identified as boys and girls under the age of 15, each said they were shot at least once. Another 17-year-old girl suffered “severe injuries” to her spine after she was stepped on while running down the stairs to leave the building during the shooting, Tracy said. The conditions of the injured were not made public as of Sunday night.
Police found numerous shell casings at the scene and recovered several firearms, including AR-style pistols and a handgun, which were in the possession of a person of interest whom authorities had taken into custody in connection with the crime. The Inspector General of Police said that the suspect is also young.
Authorities did not share a possible motive for the attack.
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