The St. Louis community is reeling from the heartbreaking loss of 14-year-old Samuel Williams Jr., who was fatally shot Wednesday evening in the Gravois Park neighborhood. Sam, as his family called him, was just a respectful, good kid heading back from a quick trip to the corner store. He was with his brother and a friend when more than a dozen gunshots rang out near Oregon Avenue and Miami Street. Despite being hit, Sam managed to stagger to a nearby home for help. Police found him there, suffering from gunshot wounds, and rushed him to a hospital. Sadly, he didn’t make it.
Neighbors heard the chaos unfold around 5:50 p.m. on December 17. One woman, who lived in the house Sam ran to, saw him as a “bonus son” and was too upset to talk much about it. Another neighbor tried CPR, but it was too late. Kids in the area, like 12-year-old Giovanni Mull, described hearing the “boom, boom, booms” and feeling scared. Giovanni said he usually feels safe around here, but this hit different—especially since Sam was so close in age. The close-knit block is shaken, with folks like Corey Harris calling it hard to wrap their heads around. “No 14-year-old should die like that,” Harris said, his voice full of pain as a dad of four.
Sam’s godmother is devastated, her sobs echoing the family’s raw grief. She didn’t want her name out there, but she shared how Sam was always polite and loving. He enjoyed video games, scrolling TikTok, playing football, and just hanging with family. “He was a good kid. It hurts bad because he didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. Sam sometimes stayed at her south city home, and that’s where he was headed when the shooting happened. “I want whoever shot my godson to feel our pain. They don’t know what they’ve done to our family,” she added, her words heavy with sorrow. The family can’t believe he’s gone, especially so close to the holidays. A neighbor felt for Sam’s mom, saying no parent should face this nightmare, let alone at Christmas time.
Police are on the hunt for answers in this senseless act. Homicide detectives are piecing together what led to the gunfire. They’re looking for a dark-colored sedan with bullet damage that might be tied to the scene—maybe there was an exchange of shots. A ShotSpotter alert went off nearby at Nebraska and Winnebago avenues around the same time, and investigators are checking if it’s connected. No arrests yet, but they’re urging anyone with info to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS anonymously. Tips that lead to an arrest could even get a reward.
This isn’t the first kid hit by bullets in St. Louis lately. Just the day before, on Tuesday, a 13-year-old boy was shot on Canaan Avenue near Broadway in north city. He’s expected to recover, but it adds to the worry. Citywide, 52 children have been shot this year—down from 60 last year, but still way too many. Sam’s death marks another tragic stat in a year that’s seen three homicides in Gravois Park alone. Neighbors say the area’s improved over the years, with people looking out for each other, but incidents like this remind everyone how fragile safety can be.
Mayor Cara Spencer feels this one personally. Her own son is 14, and the shooting happened just blocks from the home she’s lived in for the last decade. “It is incredibly hard. The particular case of the 14-year-old resonates with me since my son is also 14,” she said. She’s pushing city officials to dig into both recent shootings and find ways to prevent more. They’re teaming up with the Office of Violence Prevention to make sense of it all and keep kids safe.
The Office of Violence Prevention runs programs like Show Me Peace, aimed at cutting down neighborhood violence. Jason Watson, the director, said his team jumped in right away to help gather details. “There’s never an opportunity to declare victory,” he noted. “If you are part of the family experiencing this loss—my child fell victim to these situations.” The city is committed to working with families, community groups, and cops to address safety and stop these tragedies. Sam’s passing shines a light on the urgent need for everyone to step up, support the youth, and build a safer St. Louis.
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