ST. LOUIS — A woman and child were found shot to death inside a home in south St. Louis early Wednesday morning, police confirmed. A police lieutenant at the scene described the shooting as a murder-suicide.
Officers responded shortly before 6 a.m. to the 4000 block of Quincy Street, which is in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood in south city just south of Carondolet Park.
When officers arrived, they met a woman inside the home who they described as "acting irrationally." Fearing she may have a weapon, police left the building to secure the scene and ask for additional assistance.
They then heard a gunshot. When they went back inside, they found the woman dead along with her 5-year-old son.
The St. Louis police department’s homicide unit was requested to respond to the scene.
The view from Sky5 showed crime scene tape surrounding the one-story home on the residential street. Police blocked the road in front of the home.
"I walk past this every single day, I never seen anything or heard anything; it's shocking," said Dan Bequette, who lives nearby. "You would have to think that the person would have reached a point of hopelessness."
"We can't even begin to imagine what must have been going on for her and what her state of mind might have been at that point," said Molly Brown, the clinical director at Crisis Nursery.
Crisis Nursey provides a safe haven for families and parents who feel they have run out of options.
Brown said the organization has been getting more calls for help, especially during the pandemic.
"I had a mom who actually told me my kids would be better off if I weren't here," Brown recalled.
Brown said parents or families needing help can reach out 24/7 to the Crisis Nursery helpline at 314-768-3201.
The 5-year-old killed Wednesday is the 119th child shot in the City of St. Louis this year, according to 5 On Your Side’s data. The 5-year-old is the 20th child to die by gunfire in the city in 2020.
The last time there was a homicide in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood was in January 2018.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thinking of suicide, help is available 24 hours a day through several hotlines. Use the numbers below or click the links for more information.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
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.