8-year-old girl killed, three injured in St. Louis shooting during high school football jamboree event
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: Three people were injured and an eight-year-old girl killed in a shooting incident that occurred on Friday, August 23, night in St. Louis, according to the police. Among those injured were two teen boys and a woman, authorities said.
The shooting occurred at about 8 pm in the parking lot of a restaurant near the Soldan High School, at 918 Union, stated reports. The school was reportedly in the middle of a football jamboree event.
The eight-year-old girl is reportedly the 12th minor to have been killed by gun violence in the city since April. The two teenage boys, aged 16, were stabilized. One of them had multiple gunshot wounds while the other had one wound in his arm. The woman was reportedly shot in her leg. She was in her 40s and was initially in critical condition but was later stabilized, according to St.Louis Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis police Chief John Hayden reportedly said that two of the three victims were related and has asked for the public's help with the investigation. Hayden also informed that the little girl had been "with family" when she was shot but did not divulge any other details. He also did not reveal the cause of the gunfire.
"The little girl wasn't doing anything wrong," Hayden said. "She was with family when this occurred. Shots rang out. Not sure what particular fight was going on when the shots rang out." The police are still looking for the culprit. "We just need help from the citizens to solve this," he said. Hayden added that several people have been detained for questioning.
According to KMOV4, the name of the child is Jurnee Thompson. The news outlet reported that she had passed away while she was being taken to the hospital. They also reported that the two teens were related to the girl who died. They were her cousins. Her father reportedly told the outlet that she was at the game as a reward for exhibiting good behavior.
Mark Vasquez, a former firefighter present at the scene, said that he had tried to help the child but had found her unresponsive with a wound on her stomach. "You could see the life leaving her," Vasquez said.
"On a night when we celebrate the beginning of a new school year and start of the fall sports season, it deeply saddens us to hear of the tragic loss of life and senseless violence that involved members of our Association family," said Kerwin Urhahn of the Missouri State High School Activities Association in a statement to KSDK.
"Our thoughts go out to the family who lost their daughter, along with the students, coaches, teachers, administrators and officials that were participating in the jamborees," he added.