Belleville elementary school staff members grieve for 10-year-old boy they knew and loved

Brandon E. Scott, who was shot to death Monday, was a sweet little boy who was well-liked by classmates and teachers at the close-knit Henry Raab School in Belleville.

He was just 10 years old and would have been a fifth-grader this fall.

“He was a great friend to everybody. He had this cute, silly, wry grin that would tug at your heart,” said Susan Altadonna, his third-grade teacher. ”… He was just a great kid. He’d like to give hugs in the hallway. He loved video games and talking about them. He was just a great friend.

“He was never in trouble or in the spotlight. He was that cute kid in the hallway everyone wanted to talk to.”

Brandon died after someone shot into his family’s home at 1800 Roosevelt Ave., just outside the Belleville city limits. Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in his death, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis announced on Friday.

the investigation is continuing, authorities said, asking that anyone with information should call 618-825-5200 or 618-825-2051.

Brandon’s death has shaken the school community

Henry Raab School at 1120 Union Ave. is a small neighborhood elementary school with just 143 students, some attending the same school as their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It’s like a family, and everybody knew Brandon.

“He definitely liked to have that silly laugh,” Altadonna said. “ He always tried to encourage others. He was just really, truly a good friend.”

He was a friend to everybody.

“He liked to do things on his own, but he would befriend anybody who needed a friend,” she said. “He was a kind little boy. He would help anyone who needed the help. He was just a caring, giving little guy.”

Brandon was in the band this year and also took part in Kids For Christ, an after-school program that promotes fellowship but is not directly affiliated with Henry Raab.

Kim Showalter, Brandon’s fourth-grade teacher, said Brandon was “a sweet little boy.”

“He had a big heart. He cared about others. He had a great sense of humor,” Showalter said. “He and I always joked daily because sometimes he’d come to school without a smile and I’d say, ‘Don’t smile because your face might crack’ and then he’d smile and get in a good mood. He really cared about his classmates.”

Showalter recently retired from Henry Raab after 25 years there, something Brandon expressed concern about — as only he would do.

“I texted his mom recently and she said his biggest concern to her was if I was having a good retirement,” Showalter said. “He was just always worried about others and what they thought and tried to make everyone’s day better.”

As a student, Showalter said, “He was a real hard working kid in the classroom. When he worked for you, he’d give you everything he had.”

Brandon was a “loved kid”

Mindy Hubbard, who has been a paraprofessional at Henry Raab for four years, said she and others always received the “biggest hugs” from Brandon.

“He was definitely a loved kid. He had a lot of friends,” Hubbard said. “He was so silly. He always kept everybody happy and smiling. He always wanted to make sure everybody was OK and everybody else had a smile on their face as well.”

Hubbard said she and the entire Henry Raab community are struggling mightily with Brandon’s death.

“Everybody’s taking this one pretty hard. We’ve known that family for the longest time,” she said. “None of us can wrap our heads around this, why he was the one chosen to be taken. He was such a good kid. I can’t say any of us are handling this well right now.”

Altadonna and Showalter talked about the close-knit nature of Henry Raab School, where it’s more of a family than simply a school.

Altadonna has been at Henry Raab for 29 years and taught Brandon’s mother, Chelsea Odom.

“You become so connected with their families because they’re really a part of your family. It just makes it hard too. That’s your home. That’s your life. This is personal for all of us,” she said. “We are a family. It hurts everybody. And you don’t have to be a teacher for it to hurt. The secretary, the nurse, the speech teacher ... everybody was touched by Brandon at school. We’re all taking this so hard.”

Altadonna shared a GoFundMe fundraiser for Brandon on her Facebook page. As of Thursday afternoon, $9,165 had been raised.