3-year-old boy hospitalized after shooting in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS ---- A 3-year-old St. Louis boy is expected to make a full recovery after being shot Thursday in the third shooting involving a child in the region since last week.

Police Capt. Kenneth Kegel said the child suffered a graze wound to the buttocks. He was hospitalized, but Kegel described the wound as minor.

The child's father told authorities he put his son in the back seat of a truck to drive him to day care Thursday morning when three armed men approached and tried to force the father back inside his home. Relatives in the house heard the commotion.

"They had some guns inside their house and started shooting at the suspects," Kegel said.

After a brief shootout, the suspects ran away.

Relatives noticed the truck had been struck by stray bullets.

They found the boy had been hit in the buttocks and drove him to a hospital.

The child's name has not been released.

No arrests have been made.

Police said two guns were recovered at the scene.

Police aren't sure of a motive in the attack but said the 43-year-old father had a large sum of money in the truck.

Kegel said too many people, including children, are getting caught in the crossfire in what has been a violent year in St. Louis.

"When we have an exchange of gunfire, unfortunately, unintended victims do get hit," he said.

On Tuesday, 21-month-old Carter Epps died after finding a loaded gun and shooting himself in the suburban town of Hanley Hills, Missouri.

St. Louis County prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone, but police still are investigating, and the case remains under review.

Last week, 9-year-old Jamyla Bolden was fatally shot while doing homework on her mother's bed at a home in Ferguson, Missouri.

A 21-year-old man was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in that case.

Jamyla's funeral is Saturday.