We are shattered to share that LaJuan Swopes was taken from us violently on March 31, 2026 and did not survive. The 13 year old cherished resident of University City, Missouri, who was finishing his eighth grade year at Brittany Woods Middle School, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson after a track meet.
He and a 15-year-old friend were critically injured when shots rang out shortly after 7 p.m. as the Rod Staggs Freshman-Sophomore Track and Field Invitational was ending. Despite emergency surgery, LaJuan succumbed to his gunshot wounds a few hours later, while his friend is expected to recover.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson following the track meet. A 13 year old suspect has been charged in the incident. LaJuan and his 15 year old friend were both rushed to the hospital for surgery, but LaJuan did not survive his injuries.
The Ferguson Police Department and St. Louis County authorities continue to investigate the circumstances, with no ongoing threat identified to the public. The University City School District confirmed both victims were eighth graders at Brittany Woods Middle School.
LaJuan was described by his aunt as a great person, a great friend, son, grandson, and cousin who was loving and loved by everybody. His mother taught him and his siblings the values of life, raising them to be mannerable and very respectful. A neighbor who often paid him to mow her lawn remembered him as very nice, kind, and respectful, noting that he even played with her daughter after they finished working.
Born and raised in the St. Louis area, LaJuan carried a vibrant personality and an easy smile that made him a familiar and well-liked presence among family and neighbors. He was one month away from his 14th birthday and had already shown a strong sense of responsibility and care for those around him. His family and friends recall how he brought joy and light into their lives through his positive outlook and willingness to lend a hand, creating bonds that felt warm and genuine even in his young years.
In the days since the tragedy, the Ferguson-Florissant community and University City have come together to support LaJuan’s family, sharing memories of his kindness and the way he made others feel valued. His mother has been raising her children alone since his father was murdered in 2020, and the family also faced a house fire last summer, making this loss another devastating blow. Neighbors, schoolmates, and local advocates have rallied around them, offering comfort and emphasizing the need for stronger community efforts to protect young lives.
LaJuan Swopes will be remembered as a respectful, hardworking young man whose loving spirit and bright future were cut short far too soon. His legacy of kindness, family devotion, and quiet strength lives on in the hearts of his mother, siblings, extended family, and everyone who knew him through school or the community. Though his time with us ended in this tragic shooting, the values his mother instilled and the joy he brought to those around him continue to inspire calls for peace and protection for all children in the St. Louis area.