51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Several tenants in the downtown building where a weekend shooting left a teen dead and 11 others injured said Monday they had concerns about security long before the incident. And the family of the 17-year-old boy who died said they warned him about the streets and wondered how to tackle the problem of kids with guns in 51黑料.

The mass shooting early Sunday was at a party attended by throngs of young people in the 1400 block of Washington Avenue, and it wasn鈥檛 clear Monday how they got inside.

The building is supposed to be locked after business hours, so only tenants with card keys can get in. But sometimes hairstylists and aestheticians in the building leave the door open for clients, tenants interviewed Monday said. One also said the door has been open into the night several times over the past six months.

Jarrod Sharp, who with his wife Leslie runs a home health care business out of the building, said he鈥檚 seen the door open when he鈥檚 dropped by to get extra work done in the evenings or on Saturday morning.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unnerving, to say the least,鈥� he said.

Terry McDonald, the building鈥檚 owner, said Monday that he did not know how the revelers got inside the building and declined to say more.

Makao Moore was killed early Sunday when gunfire rang out on the fifth floor. Ten other teens were shot and injured, and another was trampled as partygoers headed for the exits. Surveillance footage outside the building, captured by a neighboring property owner, shows waves of people streaming out between 1:10 and 1:15 a.m. Some run from the scene, while others mill about in the building鈥檚 parking lot.

Police arrested a 17-year-old boy with a handgun near the scene, and turned him over to juvenile authorities. Police said they were searching for more suspects.

On Monday, about two dozen relatives of Makao gathered in the yard and on the front stoop of the family鈥檚 home on Enright Avenue. Makao, the youngest of 15 children, lived with his father, Darryl Moore, and five step-siblings.

Makao was a junior at Sumner High School. His family said his goal was to finish school and make a living as a professional gamer.

鈥淗e wanted to get his family out of the 鈥檋ood,鈥� said a sister, Nadaunte Brown, 30.

They mourned him as an outgoing young man who was respectful with family at home and kept his younger nieces and nephews in check at family gatherings.

Some young men in Makao鈥檚 circle may have carried guns, relatives concede. Darryl Moore said he constantly warned his son about hanging out with violent people.

鈥淓very day,鈥� his father said. 鈥�Every day. It鈥檚 the company you keep.鈥�

鈥淢akao was a sweet kid at home,鈥� another relative said, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 know what he was doing out on the streets.鈥�

Makao鈥檚 aunt, Sharonda Moore, recounted how her family had been hit by violence before. Her son was shot and killed in 2016, and her cousin was slain in 2012. She said she鈥檇 like to confront Makao鈥檚 killer in person to ask a question.

鈥淚 want to ask them, 鈥榃hat happened in your childhood to make you think this is OK?鈥欌�� Sharonda Moore said. 鈥淭hey express their anger like this, with guns. If we don鈥檛 figure it out, it鈥檚 going to continue to happen.鈥�

Five of the teens who were shot and survived were males. Five were females. The males ranged in age from 15 to 19, and the girls were all 16 or 17. Two of the victims were shot in the back, three suffered graze wounds. Authorities haven't released medical conditions. The girl who was trampled trying to escape suffered a possible spinal cord injury, police said.

鈥楢 lack of love or a lack of attention鈥�

Kenan Morrison, CEO and founder of The Village, an organization that mentors boys in 51黑料 as young as 6, noted that if a teenager is wrapped up in gun violence, it often comes down to a lack of resources and support, and they鈥檝e often experienced trauma of their own.

鈥淲hen a teenager is at that point, it means they don鈥檛 care about their own lives and there are a lot of people in their past that haven鈥檛 shown the care,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new form of suicide.鈥�

He noted that while it鈥檚 a good step for the city to extend weekend hours and programming at the Wohl and Marquette recreation centers, as Mayor Tishaura O. Jones promised after the shooting, longer-term solutions are needed.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-51黑料, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that it鈥檚 critical for young people to have access to jobs, vocational education in high school, recreational activities and basic services at home, such as running water. She spoke to reporters outside the Boys and Girls Club at 9200 West Florissant Avenue, ahead of the Dellwood Juneteenth parade Monday morning.

鈥淧olice respond to crime,鈥� Bush said, 鈥渁nd we understand that. The community, investing in community, is what can actually stop and prevent crime.鈥�

51黑料 Aldermanic President Megan Green said in a statement that aldermen are working on new rules for parking lots and short-term rentals that are often magnets for crime downtown.

In an interview, she said the city also is making investments in youth programming and violence prevention with federal pandemic aid.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot that鈥檚 moving in the right direction,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just feels like it鈥檚 not moving fast enough.鈥�

Donesha Belton, 29, a cousin to Makao, agreed the city needs community centers and safe places for youths. Without those safe alternatives, Belton said, 鈥渋t leaves the streets.鈥�

Makao鈥檚 family members said the teen鈥檚 name was meant for him 鈥渢o be a knockout in life.鈥� One cousin, a boxer who is now serving time in prison for drugs, named the boy 鈥淢akao鈥� 鈥� a play on the boxing term K-O, for knockout.

Sharonda Moore, Makao鈥檚 aunt, questioned Monday if violence in the city could be curbed.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it can be stopped, because I don鈥檛 think (the shooters) actually know what the families go through,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese kids with guns, I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 a lack of love or a lack of attention.鈥�

Dana Rieck, Victor Stefanescu and Katie Kull of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.