ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A 14-year-old girl was shot Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis County. She was the fifth teenager to be involved in a shooting in the county over the last 24 hours.
At 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the Jennings Precinct responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the 1800 block of Mora Lane. While on the scene, they heard the sound of a car crash and shooting nearby.
Officers went to Hildred Avenue and Granada Place and found the stolen car, which had crashed into a parked vehicle. They took three minors into custody, including the 14-year-old girl who had been shot.
St. Louis County police said the minors crashed the stolen car after being chased by a dark pickup truck. Someone in the pickup truck then shot at the minors in the stolen car. The pickup truck drove away from the scene.
The 14-year-old girl was shot in the hand and was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
“It’s still a very active investigation,” said Officer Tracy Panus, who is a spokeswoman with the St. Louis County Police Department.
Wednesday’s shooting is the latest in a series of incidents over the last 24 hours that involved teens being shot in St. Louis County. In all, four shootings have left four teenagers injured and one teenager dead.
The first shooting was detected by a ShotSpotter device at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 10100 block of Cloverdale, St. Louis County police said.
Officers arrived to find a 17-year-old boy who had been shot at least once in the lower part of his body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, police told 5 On Your Side.
Police said their investigation revealed the teen was inside a parked car with at least one other person when another car pulled up. The people inside that car got out and started shooting into the car the victim was inside. Someone who was inside the car with the victim got out and starting shooting back, police said.
The suspects are not known, and they got away from the scene, police said.
The second shooting happened at 2:05 p.m. about five miles away near Bellefontaine Road and Pattern Drive. A 15-year-old boy was shot at least once in the lower half of his body, police said. He was rushed to a hospital and is expected to survive.
Police said the teen was sitting outside with several others when a car pulled up and someone inside started shooting at the victim. The victim and those who were with him ran away from the gunshots. Shortly after, the victim realized he had been shot, police said.
The third shooting happened at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 10700 block of Spring Garden Drive.
Officers arrived to find two teenagers with gunshot wounds. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the hip. He was taken to a nearby hospital.
The second victim, a boy in his teens, was found in a nearby yard. He died at the scene, police said.
The St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is leading the investigation, “which remains very active at this time,” police said in a news release Wednesday morning.
Despite some similarities, police do not believe the Tuesday shootings are connected at this time.
Contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak to investigators regarding the incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371TIPS(8477) if you have any information regarding the incident.