On January 18, 2020, Timothy Lucas, a 14-year-old male from Washington Park, Illinois, was fatally shot in the Baden neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred in the early evening hours in the 8300 block of North Broadway. Timothy was found by authorities suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. First responders transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later. He was the first child to be fatally shot in the St.
Louis area that year.
Surveillance footage recovered from nearby businesses provided investigators with a detailed account of the events leading up to the murder. Cameras at Vinh’s Convenience Store captured images of a suspect purchasing items at the front counter. The video then showed the suspect leaving the store and walking north toward the parking lot of the Elite Super Market and Grill. Timothy was walking in the same area when the suspect produced a firearm and fired multiple shots, striking the teen and causing him to fall to the ground.
Following the shooting, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation, urging the public to come forward with information. Timothy’s father, Theodore Lucas, spoke publicly about the loss of his son, describing him as an animated and energetic boy who loved to dance and played both football and basketball. He expressed grief over the violence that cut his son's life short, noting that he had received the news of an arrest just moments before his son's funeral was scheduled to begin.
Approximately two weeks after the incident, a 14-year-old male suspect turned himself in to police custody. Due to the suspect's age, his identity was not released to the public. Reports indicated that the case was referred to the juvenile court system. Authorities did not immediately disclose a motive for the shooting, though the arrest provided some measure of closure to the grieving family as they laid the young victim to rest.
