Twelve-year-old bystander shot in Ferguson, teen in custody, police say | Regulation and order

FERGUSON – Police have arrested a 19-year-old who they believe shot and killed a 12-year-old in Ferguson on Thursday night.

The child was shot in the hip just before 10 p.m. in a residential area on the 5900 block of Laurette Avenue. Police soon responded and the boy was rushed to hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, police said in a statement Friday.

Police said arriving officers spotted a vehicle suspected of being involved in the shooting while it was leaving the area. Officials stopped the car and the 19-year-old, whom police suspect had fired the shots, has been taken into custody, police said.

Investigators believe the child who was shot was not the intended target and are looking for other suspects. Police said initial investigations suggest the shooting was linked to a fight between the shooter and other people who left the scene before the police arrived.

Police are asking anyone in the area at the time of the shooting or those who can provide additional information about what happened to call Ferguson Police at 314-522-3100.