ST. LOUIS (KMOX/AP) - Authorities say at least 18 people were shot over the weekend in more than 10 separate incidents in St. Louis, three of them fatally. A middle school student with a brght future in sports was among the dead.
Sports Illustrated called 14-year-old Jaylon McKenzie of Belleville, "one of the six teens who will rule the future in sports." Instead, his future was cut down by gunfire Saturday night.
It happened on 3rd Street in Venice, Ill. just before midnight outside a party with as many as 200 attendees.
Illinois State Police say McKenzie was killed and a 15-year-old girl was injured in the gunfire. She's in critical condition. Lt. Calvin Brown of the Illinois State Police says it's too early to tell exactly what led to the shooting.
McKenzie drew national attention when he caught five passes for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns at the NFL's 8th Grade All-American Game in Canton, Ohio, in August. He posted on social media that he had received football scholarship from the University of Missouri and University of Illinois. He told Sports Illustrated his dream was to play in the NFL and be a star in Los Angeles for the Chargers or Rams.
More violence in St. Louis over weekend
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the victims included a woman who was slain in an alley Saturday afternoon. In another Saturday shooting, one person was killed and four others were wounded inside a van.Police say two also were wounded near a light-rail station, and a 17-year-old was shot in the leg while playing basketball. The police department released few details about the shootings. A department spokeswoman said officers will provide more information Monday.The shootings happened on the same weekend that Police Chief John Hayden appeared at a crime prevention summit to say crime was in retreat.