St. Louis Charges 10-Year-Old With 1st-Degree Murder in 7-Month-Old Niece's Shooting
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
St. Louis Charges 10-Year-Old With 1st-Degree Murder in 7-Month-Old Niece's Shooting
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
Summary
A 10-year-old boy was charged with first-degree murder after police said he fatally shot his 7-month-old niece, Kiyomi Parker, at a St. Louis home last week.
Friday afternoon officers responding to a shooting call in the Baden neighborhood found the infant wounded at a house on North Broadway; she later died at a hospital.
Court spokesman Joel Currier said the boy is in child welfare custody and undergoing psychiatric evaluation at a hospital; authorities have not disclosed a motive or said whether he has a lawyer.
If a judge finds him guilty, he could face juvenile probation or state youth custody for up to 11 years, until age 21.
Bill Prince of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association said he was surprised by a first-degree murder charge and could not recall a similar Missouri case involving premeditation allegations against a child that young.
Is justice punishing the child shooter or the adults whose negligence armed him?
Can a 10-year-old's brain truly form the premeditation required for a first-degree murder charge?
The Youngest Charged: The Fatal Shooting of Kiyomi Parker, Missouri’s Juvenile Justice Limits, and St. Louis’s Child Gun Violence Crisis
Overview
On June 26, 2026, Kiyomi Parker was fatally shot, prompting St. Louis police to rush her to the hospital and provide emergency care, but she did not survive. The alleged shooter, a 10-year-old boy, became the youngest person charged with murder in Missouri, but due to his age, his case will be handled only in Juvenile Court. Missouri law prevents children under 12 from being tried as adults, focusing instead on rehabilitation. This tragedy highlights the urgent need for secure firearm storage and stronger community and legal responses to prevent child gun violence in St. Louis.