A middle school community in University City was pulled into the fallout after one student was killed and another badly hurt outside a Ferguson school.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The death of 13-year-old LaJuan Swopes after a shooting outside a Ferguson track meet sent grief through a second school district Wednesday, as police confirmed a 13-year-old suspect had been charged in juvenile court.
What began as a sporting event for dozens of students quickly became a case felt across families, schools and anti-violence groups in the St. Louis area. Police said the shooting happened after the Rod Staggs Freshman-Sophomore Track and Field Invitational at STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley. By the next day, one boy was dead, another was in serious condition, and authorities had filed murder, assault and weapons charges against a 13-year-old accused in the shooting.
The event started at 4 p.m. Tuesday and involved 20 participating schools, according to the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Police said gunfire broke out shortly after 7 p.m. in the parking lot on Brotherton Avenue as the crowd was leaving. Officers later arrested the suspect about two blocks away and recovered a gun, investigators said. Swopes died after being shot, and a second victim, a 15-year-old boy, was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Ferguson police spokesperson Patricia Washington said there was no active threat to the community after the arrest. Authorities have not released the suspect’s name because of his age, and they have not publicly described the exact moments that led to the shooting.
By Wednesday, the loss had reached Brittany Woods Middle School in University City. The University City School District told parents both victims attended the school, linking the case to students and staff who had not been at the Ferguson campus for class but now had to respond to the aftermath. That update gave one of the clearest signs of how widely the shooting had spread beyond the scene itself. The Ferguson-Florissant School District, meanwhile, said none of its students were involved. Police have said they are still investigating what caused the confrontation. Officials also have not said whether any school discipline history, prior threats or social media exchanges may become part of the case.
Those who knew Swopes described a boy with routines, family ties and plans that were suddenly cut short. Lisa LaGrone, a gun violence advocate with Safe Streets, Safe Neighborhoods, said she had known him his whole life and said the suspect and victims knew one another. “LaJuan was a pretty good kid,” she said. LaGrone said he stayed out of trouble, helped family members with jobs like yard work and cleanup, and was nearing a milestone his mother had been looking forward to. She said his death would weigh heavily on his siblings, especially because the family had already endured another killing when their father died in 2020.
The juvenile case is now moving through St. Louis County Family Court. Police said the 13-year-old suspect was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. Because the accused is a juvenile, the process is likely to unfold with fewer public details than an adult prosecution. Even so, the filed charges establish the seriousness of the allegations and set up the next phase of the case: court review, continued police investigation and updates on the wounded teen’s recovery. Investigators may still seek more interviews, digital evidence and forensic testing tied to the recovered firearm before a fuller account is released.
The scene left behind was one that families across north St. Louis County know too well: a youth event ending in sirens, hospital calls and questions that linger long after the crowd is gone. LaGrone said she believed online exchanges may have contributed to the conflict, though officials have not confirmed that. Her comments reflected a broader fear among local anti-violence workers that disputes among young teens can move from screens to parking lots with little warning. For now, the firm facts remain limited but stark: a 13-year-old boy is dead, another is badly hurt, and a juvenile defendant is facing homicide-related charges after a meet meant to showcase student athletes.
As of Thursday, police had not announced any new arrests or additional charges, and the motive had not been publicly explained. The next milestone is expected to come through juvenile court proceedings and further updates from investigators on the injured teen and the evidence they have gathered.
Author note: Last updated April 2, 2026.