University City Police searching for teens seen in doorbell video pointing guns at home
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV) - Police are searching for several teens seen on video standing on the porch of a University City residence holding guns.
University City Police said they were sent the video on Thursday and determined it was taken at a residence on the 7000 block of Vernon.
Giles Green has lived on Vernon Street for the last three years.
It’s a neighborhood he describes as quiet and safe.
“You hear like sirens and stuff because of the fire department down the street, but other than that, nothing really happens over here,” Green says. “That’s kind of why I live over here. It’s why I like it.”
Police said they received the video from an anonymous source.
“I didn’t think anything like that would happen over here,” Green says.
Green says police were asking other neighbors to check their own cameras.
He says he didn’t catch anything.
“Being a gun owner myself, I do think there should be more gun control considering I went to Cabela’s to buy a flannel, and I bought my first gun,” Green says.
St. Louis County Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb is looking into legislation to address gun violence in the county.
Chairwoman Webb says her main reason is to protect people in the community and make sure law enforcement is able to safely enforce the law.
“People should be able to be safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods,” Chairwoman Webb says. “They shouldn’t be challenged with being intimidated or any danger from young teenagers or young adults walking around with semi-automatic weapons and rifles in broad daylight.”
This comes as St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones signed a bill into law banning people from openly carrying in the city unless they have a concealed carry permit, which you can’t get until you’re 19.
Chairwoman Webb says she wants to take best practices from that and hear from other municipalities as well.
“We can’t fix it in one area and then don’t have any rules in another area because it’s like anything else, it’s gonna spread,” Chairwoman Webb says. “It doesn’t care what city line or municipality you’re in.”
Green says people have their rights to open carry, but it also raises concerns about the wrong people carrying guns.
“I feel like it’s more concerning how they got it,” Green says. “They’re obviously no older than 18 years old. How do they have guns.”
The investigation is ongoing, and police are looking for those seen in the video.
Anyone with information is asked to call the University City Police Department at 314-725-2211 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS.
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