A shooting at a party in a downtown St. Louis office building has left one person dead and 10 others injured. The party was attended by juveniles between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, with eight out of 11 victims being minors. Five victims were male, and six were female. The deceased was identified as Makao Moore, a 17-year-old boy.
The shooting occurred on the fifth floor of the office building, which was meant to be an office space. Police found numerous shell casings at the scene and recovered multiple firearms, including an AR-style rifle and a handgun.
A 17-year-old girl suffered serious spinal cord injuries after she was trampled while running from the shooting. The current conditions of the other wounded have not been made public as of Sunday afternoon.
The suspect in custody is a 17-year-old male who lives outside of St. Louis. Authorities have not shared a potential motive for the attack. The initial investigation suggested the social gathering was organized through social media direct messaging platforms, though law enforcement does not currently know how the attendees got access to the office building.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones attributed the shooting to Missouri’s “lax” gun laws, including the state legislature’s February decision to continue allowing minors to carry firearms, as well as downtown St. Louis being a late-night gathering place for young people from outside the city.
Missouri has some of the weakest gun laws in the country, according to the nonprofit anti-gun violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety. The state does not require a background check to buy or own a gun, and anyone 19 and older can legally conceal and/or open carry a gun in Missouri without a permit, according to the law. The state also recognizes concealed weapon permits issued by other states.
It’s a heartbreaking incident as families in the community are dealing with the unthinkable. All those attending the party will carry with them the scars, physical and mental, from the gun violence that tore into their lives.
References
- https://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=80735720
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-detained-shooting-gorge-amphitheater-sheriff/story?id=100172563
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us/missouri-decides-not-ban-unsupervised-minors-carrying-guns-public-property-2023-02-09/
- https://www.everytown.org/state/missouri/
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-arrested-after-fbi-uncovers-alleged-mass-shooting/story?id=100155442
- https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=571.101&bid=33875&hl=
