Sixteen-year-old Colin Brown, a hockey player at CBC High School, is fighting for his life following a shooting on Interstate 55 in St. Louis. Colin was hit by a stray bullet while riding in the passenger seat of his father’s car as they were heading home from a hockey game.
Police reports have shown that the incident might have involved a shootout that happened in the opposite lanes of traffic, possibly with multiple shooters using automatic firearms. The shooting took place around 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night.
One of the people who intervened almost immediately after the shooting was Lily Paniucki, a 20-year-old recent EMT graduate who was nearby when Colin Brown’s father sought help. Paniucki performed CPR for approximately 20 minutes until emergency services arrived. “Hearing somebody scream for help like that, there was no time to sit and worry or second-guess me,” she said, as per a report from firstalert4.com.
According to FOX2now, the emergency response timeline is as follows:
- 10:36:38 p.m.: Initial 911 call received
- 10:38:24 p.m.: Medic unit dispatched
- 10:46:04 p.m.: Police secure the scene
- 10:52:50 p.m.: Medic unit arrives on scene
KSDK reported that St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy described what happened to Colin Brown as an “unfortunate, tragic reckless incident.” The police are currently investigating the case, and spokesperson Mitch McCoy mentioned that they have obtained new video evidence to help with their inquiry.
The news outlet also added that Dawg Nation, a nonprofit supporting hockey players, launched a fundraising campaign that has raised over $50,000 in 24 hours. Ed Larkin, the local chapter’s board chairman, noted this as their largest fundraising effort within such a short timeframe.
Ryan Mahoney from Dawg Nation shared, “Many times we can feel helpless… anyone who’s driven those late nights with their hockey player can feel this.” Law enforcement is urgently seeking witnesses. They are requesting anyone with information about the shooting on I-55 near the Loughborough exit to contact:
- Crimestoppers: 1-866-371-8477
- St. Louis Police Homicide Division: 314-444-5371
- Email: homicidecoldcase@slmpd.org