On the afternoon of January 15, 2021, 17-year-old Paris Lee Jr., a junior at Roosevelt High School who had recently celebrated his birthday, was shot and killed while walking to a friend’s house in the Dutchtown neighborhood of St. Louis. Witnesses reported seeing two young men fire weapons on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue around 4:00 p.m.; Lee was struck in the torso and was unconscious and not breathing when first responders arrived. Medical personnel were unable to save him.

The shooting happened near a memorial for another young local homicide from months earlier, underscoring residents’ concerns about recurring gun violence in the area. Family members including his aunt and grandmother described him as having a big heart and urged anyone with information to come forward. Homicide detectives opened an investigation; at the time of the reports no one had been arrested or charged and no suspect had been publicly named.

If anyone in Dutchtown that afternoon saw something or knows anything that could help identify those responsible, please contact the St. Louis homicide division or CrimeStoppers.