St. Louis Region Faces Rising Tide of Child Homicides as Summer Looms: Will Region Repeat As Child Murder Capital?
As summer approaches in the St. Louis region, a grim reality casts a shadow over the promise of warm days and school breaks: the persistent loss of young lives to violence. Since the school year ended in May 2025, at least 12 children under 18 have been killed in St. Louis City and County, according to data from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Homicide Tracker. This tragic toll echoes a troubling pattern, raising questions about whether the region risks repeating its reputation as a “Child Murder Capital,” a label born from years of tracking each child’s death with a new number and headline. Programs like the Dynasty Hip Hop Mentoring Program, stlhiphop.com, and Hip Hop 911 Stop the Violence have shown promise in curbing youth violence, yet disinvestment and neglect of these community-driven efforts, coupled with criticism of “soft on crime” policies, have left many questioning the region’s commitment to protecting its youngest residents.
A Summer of Loss: Young Lives Cut Short
Since the school year ended, the St. Louis region has mourned the deaths of several children, their names now etched in the community’s collective grief:
- Daniel Stahl, 16, killed on June 15, 2025, in downtown St. Louis during a violent incident following an unsanctioned rooftop party. Described as an innocent bystander, Daniel was visiting from Springfield, Missouri, to attend a protest.
- Octavius “Tay” Harris, age unspecified but reported as a teen, fatally shot on June 15, 2025, in the 900 block of O’Fallon Street in St. Louis.
- Kho’Mori McGee, 15, killed on February 2, 2025, in St. Louis County, unintentionally shot by a boy, according to police.
Ophelia Lawery-Daniels, 9 months old, died in January 2025 after being shot in St. Louis County. Her mother described her as an active and energetic baby. - Charles E. Jones, 15, shot and killed in January 2025 in the 100 block of Lazarcheff Drive in St. Louis County.
- Mattison Johnson, 16, killed in January 2025 in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis City, with an 18-year-old charged with involuntary manslaughter.
- Toriana Bohanna, 4, died in August 2024 in a fire in St. Clair County, alongside 35-year-old Shavonne S. Green, under traumatic circumstances.
- Amari Randall-Brown, age unspecified but reported as a child, killed in May 2025 in St. Louis City.
- Journee Hemphill, age unspecified but reported as a child, killed in 2025 in St. Louis City.
- Caion Greene, age unspecified but reported as a child, killed in 2025 in St. Louis City.
- Jaimarcus McDaniel, age unspecified but reported as a child, killed in 2025 in St. Louis City.
- Terrance Booker, 17, found shot to death on June 29, 2024, in Cahokia Heights, St. Clair County.
These names represent only a fraction of the region’s loss, with at least 16 children shot in 2025 as of March 2, nine of whom died, including two under age 5. The causes vary—stray bullets, domestic incidents, and disputes at gatherings—but the outcome is the same: families shattered and communities on edge.
A History of Grief and a Troubling Label
St. Louis has long grappled with high homicide rates, particularly among its youth. In 2022, Mayor Tishaura Jones noted that over 100 children had been victims of gun violence that year alone, a statistic that underscored the city’s struggle with firearm access and lax state gun laws. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Homicide Tracker, which meticulously documents victims, has become a grim ledger, assigning numbers to each child lost, a practice that gained traction as the region’s violence surged. Headlines once screamed of a “Child Murder Capital,” a moniker that haunts St. Louis as it faces the possibility of repeating this tragic cycle.
The data paints a stark picture: in 2024, the region saw a significant drop in homicides, with a 40% decrease from a record high in 2020 to a 10-year low. Yet, the persistence of child deaths in 2025 suggests that this progress is fragile, particularly when community-based programs that address root causes are underfunded or overlooked.
The Power of Community Programs and the Cost of Disinvestment
Programs like the Dynasty Hip Hop Mentoring Program, stlhiphop.com, and Hip Hop 911 Stop the Violence have demonstrated the potential to steer youth away from violence by leveraging music, mentorship, and community engagement. The Dynasty Hip Hop Mentoring Program, for instance, uses hip-hop culture to connect with young people, offering guidance and positive outlets in a city where poverty and hopelessness fuel conflict. Similarly, stlhiphop.com promotes local artists while fostering community pride, and Hip Hop 911 Stop the Violence emphasizes conflict resolution and youth empowerment. These initiatives address the systemic issues—poverty, lack of opportunity, and disengagement—that contribute to violence, as noted by observers like Kosta Longmire, who linked St. Louis’s violence to an “epidemic of hopelessness.”
Yet, these programs often struggle with funding and visibility. Mayor Jones’s administration allocated $13.6 million in American Rescue Plan funds to violence prevention in 2022, including the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention. However, sustainable funding for real grassroots efforts remains elusive. Critics argue that the region’s failure to consistently invest in failed programs/policies instead of what has been shown to work leaves gaps that law enforcement alone cannot fill.
Criticism of “Soft on Crime” Policies
The tenure of former Mayor Tishaura Jones, former Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, and former U.S. Representative Cori Bush—once celebrated as a “wave of Black girl magic”—has drawn scrutiny for policies perceived as lenient on crime. Jones, Gardner, and Bush, all Black women who held office concurrently, faced criticism for prioritizing progressive reforms over aggressive prosecution and policing. Jones advocated redirecting police funds to address poverty and mental health, while Gardner’s office struggled with case backlogs and staff retention, notably drawing ire after a 2023 incident where a man with bond violations injured a teen. Bush, meanwhile, pushed for federal gun safety measures but faced backlash for not doing enough locally to secure justice for victims.
Critics, including a 2021 letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, argued that Jones and Gardner were “inept” at ensuring public safety, pointing to high-profile failures like dismissed homicide cases due to prosecutorial missteps. Jones herself acknowledged the unrealistic expectations placed on Black female leaders, noting in 2025 that “Black women have to work five times as hard to get nothing in return.” Yet, for many residents, the focus on systemic reform seemed to sideline accountability for perpetrators, leaving families of victims like Daniel Stahl and Kho’Mori McGee without closure.
A Path Forward: Investing in What Works
The St. Louis region stands at a crossroads. The summer, a time when violence often spikes due to increased youth activity, demands urgent action. The success of programs like the Dynasty Hip Hop Mentoring Program and Hip Hop 911 Stop the Violence shows that culturally relevant, community-based interventions can make a difference. Expanding these efforts, alongside sustained funding for initiatives like the Office of Violence Prevention, could address the hopelessness that fuels violence, as described by community leaders. Collaboration across municipalities, could amplify the impact of grassroots programs if properly funded and implemented.
The names of the children lost—Daniel, Octavius, Kho’Mori, and others—must not become mere statistics in a tracker. St. Louis can shed the “Child Murder Capital” label by doubling down on what works: investing in youth, supporting community programs, and balancing reform with accountability.
As summer begins, the region has a chance to rewrite its story—not with more headlines of loss, but with hope and action for its youngest generation.
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