ST. LOUIS A 16-year-old high school hockey player died in the hospital Wednesday after he was struck by a stray bullet while riding in his father's car on Interstate 55 in south St. Louis over the weekend, police said .
Colin Brown, a junior at Christian Brothers College High School, was shot Saturday evening near the intersection of I-55 and Loughborough Avenue while on his way home from a hockey game in Affton.
Police announced his death at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
It caused a barrage of public heartbreak.
It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that senior CBC officials informed their community of Colin's death. The St. Louis Blues said they would celebrate Colin's life Saturday with a moment of silence before the game and donate raffle proceeds to his family. Newly elected Governor Mike Kehoe said on social media he was devastated and called for accountability for the shooter.
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And Mayor Tishaura O. Jones' office released a statement calling the shooting senseless and reckless.
We all prayed for a miracle and are now overwhelmed with sadness, grief and anger that this innocent teenager's life was taken, Jones said.
“We will never get real justice for the loss of Colin's life,” she continued.
Jones said police were still investigating and vowed to hold the shooter accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
Ryan Trenz, varsity hockey coach at CBC, said he and Colin's coaches and teammates were heartbroken.
He was an excellent kid from an excellent family, said Trenz, who knew Colin and his family for about four years through the St. Louis Eagles and CBC hockey programs. It's pointless… you can't wrap your mind around it.
Police said the family declined comment and asked for privacy.
Police have called the shooting random and said the weapon was fired from the southbound lanes, but Colin and his father were driving north.
Department spokesman Mitch McCoy said it is a rare situation where someone in the city is struck by a stray bullet.
McCoy said Wednesday that the department had received numerous tips related to the shooting and had new video evidence.
A signed poster in support of Colin Brown is located during a vigil attended by more than 200 people outside the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in OFallon, Il. on Monday, November 25, 2024.
Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch
We cannot emphasize how important it is for residents living in the area around I-55 and Loughborough to review their security cameras that may have captured the shooting, he said.
Colin donated his organs to other patients in need, McCoy said, showing what kind of young man Colin was and the family he grew up in.
Their steadfast commitment to serving those around them should inspire us all, he said.
Trenz, the hockey coach, described Wednesday what Colin was like as a teenager.
Although he was quiet at first, Trenz said, Colin opened up when he was with his friends at the rink and in the locker room, joking around to make people feel included and then getting right back to work.
Trenz recalled one of his first memories with Colin, during a team practice with the St. Louis Eagles hockey club. Colin and a teammate completed the usual routine. Then they lifted weights on the bench press.
Luke Shelton places his arms on his OFallon Panthers teammates at the end of a prayer vigil for Colin Brown outside the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in OFallon, Il. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Colin, 16, who plays hockey for Christian Brothers College High and an Affton Americans club team, was driving home with his father in south St. Louis Saturday evening when he was struck by a stray bullet on Interstate 55 near Loughborough Avenue.
Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch
They pushed each other, and it was a precursor to who Colin is, he said. You knew you would get 110% effort from him every time. Colin was the type of player and teammate that every coach wanted on this team.
CBC assistant coach Blake Ryan recalled when Colin scored the winning goal in a national tournament game with the Eagles and turned around with a big smile on his face. In another match, Colin took a hit from an opposing player.
It looked painful for us coaches, Ryan said on Wednesday. But Colin just came over with a smile on his face and said he was ready to go.
Ryan, a new father, said Colin was everyone you would want your son to be.
He is the first man to pet you when you are sad, and the first to compliment you when you are awake, he said. He was a natural leader and was always quick to do the right thing.
Although he only moved to CBC this year, Colin had made an impact both on and off the rink, Trenz said. At a voluntary prayer service on the first day of school after Colin was shot, the class was packed.
He embodied everything we stand for and was proud to have Colin and call him a brother for life, Trenz said.
The team gathered late Wednesday afternoon to remember Colin and be there for each other as much as possible, Trenz said.
Area hockey players pray for Colin Brown and shout his number during a vigil for the CBC High and Affton club player at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Colin was struck by a stray bullet Saturday while in a car with his father on Interstate 55 in south St. Louis.
