Police are investigating a mass shooting that left one person dead and nine others injured in St. Louis, Missouri, early Sunday morning, officials said. All 10 people targeted in the attack were juveniles between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
The shooting happened at around 1 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of 14th Street and Washington Avenue in the city's downtown area, St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy said at a news conference. Officers stationed in the area initially saw a large group of people running from a building near the intersection. Shortly afterward, the officers received several calls about a shooting on the fifth floor of the building.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a group of young people was attending a party on the building's fifth floor, which is meant to be an office space, when the shooting occurred. Officers found 10 young people with apparent gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene.
A 17-year-old male was pronounced dead, according to the police chief, who said the other nine victims, identified as male and female teenagers as young as 15, had each been struck at least once by gunfire. Tracy said another 17-year-old female suffered "serious injuries" to her spine after she was possibly trampled while running down stairs to exit the building during the shooting. The conditions of the wounded have not been made public as of Sunday night.
Police found numerous shell casings at the scene and recovered multiple firearms, including AR-style pistols and a handgun, which were in the possession of a person of interest who authorities took into custody in connection with the crime. The suspect is also a juvenile, the police chief said.
Authorities have not shared a potential motive for the attack.