// a href = ./ //

   The murder of a north city teen is bringing a community together in an effort to combat violence.  His family watched in horror as 16 year old Pierre Childs was shot in the back in front of his home May 7th. Police have no suspects in his murder.  

   Tuesday night the teen's family, police and a group called "Positive Alternatives for Youth, Inc." held a town hall meeting to work on a plan to curb violence in north St. Louis.  The plan includes drug sweeps and increased police patrols along with workforce training and GED classes.  

   St. Louis Police Major Ronnie Robinson says his department is backing the plan. "This is an issue for us, a very important issue of concern because of the fact that summertime is coming," he said.  "And you know, as the hotter it gets, sometimes it gets more aggressive on the streets as far as criminal activity is concerned."

   It's not known yet if Mayor Francis Slay or the Board of Aldermen will do the same.

A woman who claimed that she was shot by a carjacker, is changing her story.

The victim initially told police she was sitting at an intersection in North St. Louis when a man opened her car door, shot her in the leg, and stole her car. After questioning, the woman admitted that she made the story up.

Police believe she was shot in her house, but are still unclear on details surrounding the incident.

The victim remains hospitalized in serious condition.

 

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. (AP) - Police in southeast Missouri are investigating a road rage incident on Interstate 55 that included several shots fired into a car.

KFVS-TVreports that a silver Sport utility vehicle passed a car Monday afternoon and suddenly slammed on its brakes, causing the car to strike the rear of the SUV.

Pemiscot County Sheriff's Capt. Ryan Holder says someone got out of the SUV with a handgun and fired seven or eight shots into the car. Four people in the car were not struck by any bullets but were injured by broken glass.

Authorities continue to search for the SUV. It isn't clear what prompted the attack.

Police have released a motive in the slayings that shook the small town of Manchester, Illinois.

Rick Smith shot six people, killing five, on the morning of April 24 at a Manchester home. Investigators now believe Smith planned the attack to resolve a custody battle over his three-year-old daughter. Smith believed the family of the girl's mother was interfering in the couple's custody dispute.

Police have also learned that Smith did not stray more than 25 miles from the crime scene before he started a shootout with police. Smith was killed in that shootout. A six-year-old girl survived the massacre. 

A 17-year-old has been charged for shooting and killing a 13-year-old Granite City boy this week.

Police say LaRoyce McFadden started shooting at Clayton Veninga on Wednesday evening. Veninga was hit and died from his wounds.

Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but McFadden faces first degree murder charges.

 

   One man is dead, shot by police after allegedly pulling a gun on officers near downtown St. Louis Wednesday night.  It happened about 9:30 p.m. at 8th and Carr, about a block north of the Edward Jones Dome, which is a hot spot policing area.  

   Police say two men were in a car that sped away when police tried to pull it over.  Police pursued until it crashed.  

   The 25 year old passenger took off on foot.  Two officers chased him.  

   Police say the suspect pulled out a .45-caliber pistol with extended clips and pointed it them.  That's when they shot him.  The suspect died after being taken to a hospital.  

   The car's driver was taken into custody at the crash scene.  

   Both officers involved in the foot chase have been placed on routine administrative leave. 

   A Kirkwood middle school student will answer to the juvenile courts after allegedly threatening gun violence at Nipher Middle School Wednesday.  

   Kirkwood police say the student had made threats against two classmates and the school in general while speaking with two acquaintances.  They alerted school officials of the threats.  

   The student was taken into custody.  

   Police say there is no indication that the student had tried to act on the threats. And student's family told police that the child doesn't have access to guns.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Authorities have arrested two men suspected of shooting a St. Louis man after he answered a Craigslist ad about a car.

 

Officers arrested the men Thursday, one day after the shooting happened.

 

The victim saw an ad for a used car on Craigslist and went to the city's north side to look at it. Police say two men approached his car as he pulled up to the home. One of the men began firing shots into the victim's vehicle.

 

The victim was able to drive to an auto parts store to get help. He was shot several times. Two people who were in the car with him weren't injured.

 

Police Chief Sam Dotson urged people "to always use caution when conducting business online."

UPDATE:

Police say they have shot and killed the suspected shooter. Officer caught up to the suspect in the 4100 block of Turner. During a chase, one officer shot and killed the suspect. EARLIER:
A suspect is on the loose after shooting a woman and her teenage daughter Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting happened around 1 PM at a home in the 4600 block of Tennessee Ave. A mother and here daughter were rushed to the hospital. The mother was pronounced dead, but the daughter is in stable condition and expected to survive.

SWAT teams were called to the home and they surrounded the residence. Police believed the suspect was in the house, but a search revealed he had fled the house.

This is a fluid situation and we will update you as we have more information.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - As Republican state lawmakers consider increased access to firearms, a new study claims Missouri's gun-friendly policies have increased gun violence. The study's author says homicides involving firearms have increased in Missouri by 25 percent between 2008 and 2010. Daniel Webster, a professor and gun policy analyst at Johns Hopkins University, cites the repeal of the state's "permit to acquire law" in 2007 as the turning point. Prior to that year, people had to get a permit and a background check from the local sheriff's office to acquire a firearm even in cases of private sales. Now, no such check is required for gun purchases. Webster's research shows that Missouri's increased level of gun violence in the last five years runs counter to the national trend.