St. Louis officials offered $100K reward for unsolved child murders. Then two more kids were shot
Less than a day after St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to arrests in a recent string of child shootings, two more kids were shot and killed.
Krewson announced at a news conference Saturday that a $25,000 reward for four unsolved cases involving children would be available until Sept. 1. That night, a 10-year-old girl was shot to death and a 15-year-old boy was killed early the next morning, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The announcement came one day after 8-year-old Jurnee Thompson was shot to death waiting in front of a restaurant with family members.
"Conventional policing tactics are not enough. We need information from the public to help us bring these shooters to justice,” Krewson said at Saturday’s news conference. “We are all at risk if these suspects remain on the street.”
Krewson said the deadline on the reward "expresses the urgency of this situation."
"The message now is for these shooters when you engage in this type of violent behavior there will be a significant incentive for people to give us information to lead to your arrest," Krewson said.
Officials are offering rewards for information about her death and the cases of Kayden Johnson, 2; Kennedi Powell, 3; and Eddie Hill, 10, St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden Jr. said Saturday. Kayden and his mother were killed while they hid from home intruders, Hayden said, and Kennedi and Eddie were shot in front of their home.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that at least a dozen children have been shot and killed in the city since April.
Jimmie Edwards, the St. Louis public safety director, acknowledged at the news conference that there are many other unsolved homicides in the city that police are working to solve.
"Our hearts go out to all of the victim's families," Edwards said. "I wish we had more money in order that we might post similar rewards in all of those cases. We do not."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. Louis officials offer $100,000 reward in string of child murders
