High school hockey star killed by stray bullet on highway as dad drove him home from game

Hockey star Colin Brown, 16, was sat in the passenger seat of his father Calvin’s car on a busy highway in Missouri - when he was hit by the stray bullet that killed him

A teenage hockey star has died after being struck by a stray bullet whilst his dad drove him home from a game.

Colin Brown, 16, was sat in the passenger seat of his father Calvin’s car as the pair drove through a busy highway in South St. Louis, Missouri, at around 10:30pm on Saturday. Colin, a Missouri high school student and hockey player, was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition but tragically succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday afternoon.

St. Louis Metro Police Department Director of Public Affairs Mitch McCoy said: “Colin — a beloved and talented hockey player — passed away but not before giving the ultimate gift of life. Colin’s organs were donated to other patients who were in desperate need. This donation is an example of the type of young man Colin was and the kind of family he grew up in.”

Colin was a student of one of Missouri’s most elite hockey high school programs, CBCHS, and was seven games into the season. Before their game Wednesday night, NHL St. Louis Blues coaching staff wore “72 Strong” pins in honour of Colin's uniform number.

CBCHS said in a statement: “He was a talented and dedicated student who was enrolled in Honors courses, and he was a valuable member of our CBC Varsity Hockey team.”

On the night he died, police received multiple reports from onlookers and locals over shots fired, and believe there was a gunfight whilst the Browns were driving in the opposite direction, according to Fox 2. “This type of violence is not going to be tolerated by us,” Director of Public Affairs Mitch McCoy said.

“We want people to feel safe driving on the interstate and the city of St. Louis. “To have a 16-year-old boy who just left a hockey game get shot is incredibly rare. You don’t hear about cases of innocent bystanders being hit by stray bullets here. When those acts of violence occur, we will put the entire weight of this police department into finding who did it to make sure they are held accountable.”

Dad Calvin Brown thanked the St. Louis Police and Illinois State Police for “their continued efforts in apprehending the perpetrator(s) of this senseless crime against our beloved son, Colin” but added that officials should make “greater efforts” to support officers.

“As a family and as a former law enforcement official with over 28 years of experience, we believe that greater efforts are needed in the City of St. Louis and the surrounding region to support the police and equip them with the necessary tools to combat such senseless, violent gun crimes,” he said on Sunday.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said: “The death of Colin Brown is devastating news for our whole community. We were all praying for a miracle and are now overwhelmed with grief, sadness, and anger that this innocent teenager’s life has been taken. As the mother of a teenage son, I grieve with all who knew and loved this man.”