15-year-old killed in Baden gas station shootout

ST. LOUIS – Police confirmed Wednesday a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed during a shootout in the parking lot of a gas station early Tuesday in the Baden neighborhood.

Flashing lights, crime scene tape and evidence markers littered the parking lot of the VP Fuels Gas Station at the corner of Riverview Drive and North Broadway following the shootout. Police say the call came in around 1:30 a.m.

People who live near the gas station say crime scene tape is all too common in the area. Data from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department shows officers have been called to the gas station 49 times this year alone.

Baden resident Deborah McGee lost her son to gun violence back in 2015.

"What I would like to see them do is get something going for the young men, to get them out of the streets, to stop selling drugs and messing with the guns," McGee said. "Because they can do that."

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Crime is not new to Baden. Tuesday's homicide marked the seventh in the neighborhood so far this year—that's compared to four at this point in 2023. Notably, it is the sixth shooting involving a teen victim in Baden in 2024.

Longtime resident John Jones said he heard the shots ring out and doesn't understand how so many young people have access to guns.

"We need to keep an eye on our kids, because it's really bad," Jones said.

McGee said ultimately, it's up to parents—not police—to raise their children to prevent tragedies like this one. She fears many of these teenagers who get their hands on guns don't understand the weight of their actions until it's too late.

"What you do in the dark comes to the light," she said.

Police are still investigating what led up to the shootout. No suspect names or arrests have been published. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).