9-year-old shot
A 9-year-old boy was shot in the city of St. Louis Thursday afternoon
By Matt Woods
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ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — A 9-year-old boy was shot in the city of St. Louis Thursday afternoon, police said.
The boy was shot just before 4 p.m. in the 5200 block of Wells, just east of the Hamilton Heights neighborhood. Police said he was conscious and breathing as EMS took him to the hospital.
Information on the circumstances of the shooting was not immediately known.
The boy is the 41st child victim of gun violence (17 and under) in the city of St. Louis since January 1. He is also the ninth child to be shot in the city in the last five days. The other eight children were teenagers who were shot in downtown St. Louis on Sunday.
The seemingly constant barrage of shootings clearly upset Lisa LaGrone, with ‘Safe Streets, Safe Neighborhoods.’ She said city residents are becoming desensitized to this type of violence and that she’s been to four shootings in a four-day span.
“You know how many bodies I done seen in the last 72 hours?,” said LaGrone.
“After these shootings happen I respond to these families. That’s my job man. And I gotta hear these parents cry.”
This past weekend, Mayor Tishaura Jones spoke after ten teens were shot and one died downtown.
“I need families to hear me loud and clear downtown is not a 1 a.m. destination for your 15-year-old,” said Jones on Sunday.
LaGrone said it’s a bigger issue,
“It’s bigger than downtown!,” said LaGrone. “We got a citywide problem that people everyday gotta listen to gunshots.”
LaGrone pleaded with local leaders to help shift the tide, asking lawmakers to pass gun control measures.
“I’m begging this city man, the state legislature, y’all gotta help us, we can’t do this,” said LaGrone.
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