FERGUSON, MO. - A track meet involving 20 schools was ending Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026, at the STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley High School in Ferguson when gunfire erupted in the parking lot as people were leaving, killing a 14-year-old boy and critically injuring a 15-year-old boy.
A 13-year-old suspect was taken into custody nearby, and officials said there was no ongoing threat to the school community.
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The shooting happened just after 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the campus on Brotherton Avenue, according to a spokeswoman for the Ferguson Police Department. Police responded to a reported shooting and found the two boys suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital, but the 14-year-old died, police said. The 15-year-old remained hospitalized.
The suspect was located about two blocks from the scene and taken into custody, police said. Police recovered the suspected firearm used in the shooting.
The St. Louis County Family Court charged the 13-year-old with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. Because the case involves juveniles and is under the auspices of Family Court, the suspect will not be identified.
In a statement, the Ferguson-Florissant School District said, “We want to reassure our families that no Ferguson-Florissant students or families were involved.”
Officials said none of the three involved attended the Ferguson-Florissant School District. The University City School District confirmed the two victims were eighth-grade students at Brittany Woods Middle School. It was unclear which school the 13-year-old suspect attends.
