A 16-year-old boy was shot multiple times while standing at a bus stop in St. Louis' LaSalle Park neighborhood around 10 p.m. on Halloween night, and he is now recovering in stable condition after being rushed to an area hospital. Police say he was hit near the intersection of Hickory and Tucker when someone opened fire from inside a passing vehicle.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, District 3 officers responded to the 1000 block of Hickory Street at around 10 p.m. on October 31 for a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they located the teenager with several gunshot wounds; he was conscious and breathing at the scene. EMS crews took him to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
Investigators believe the teen was simply waiting at a bus stop near Hickory and Tucker when occupants of a vehicle began firing shots at him, per the department's preliminary findings. That detail was also reported by KMOV. District Three detectives are now handling the investigation, and no suspect information has been released.
Tips Sought as Investigation Continues
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 314-444-2500 and ask for a District Three detective. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips to CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS, though only tips that lead to a felony arrest are eligible for a reward, the department noted in its release.
No further details about the circumstances behind the shooting, including a motive or a description of the vehicle involved, have been made public. The teen's condition following the initial stable report has not been updated.
A LaSalle Park Neighborhood With a Painful History
The shooting adds another grim chapter to a neighborhood that has seen gun violence against children before. A 5-year-old boy was shot in the head and critically injured in the same LaSalle Park neighborhood, according to a report from stltoday.com. That same report noted that two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, were injured in a shooting in the city's Baden neighborhood on Halloween night in 2022 — a striking echo of this year's attack falling on the same date.
The outlet's reporting also found that as of late December 2022, at least 120 children had been shot across the St. Louis metropolitan area that year, including 26 who died.
Citywide Homicide Numbers Had Been Trending Down
The shooting comes even as St. Louis has seen homicide numbers drop overall. The city recorded 63 homicides through the first half of 2026, down from 71 during the same period in 2025, according to St. Louis Public Radio. That marked the lowest first-half homicide total the city had seen since 2014.
The shooting comes even as St. Louis has seen homicide numbers drop overall. The city recorded 63 homicides through the first half of 2026, down from 71 during the same period in 2025, according to St. Louis Public Radio. That marked the lowest first-half homicide total the city had seen since 2014. Police Chief Robert Tracy pointed to declines in both shootings and homicides earlier this year, saying, “90% of our murders are by gunshot in the city,” according to the same report. Halloween night's shooting underscores that even as overall numbers fall, gun violence continues to reach some of the city's youngest residents.
