I was waking up for my shift right at 1600 (4PM). My brother said he heard several police cars peel rubber into our street. I didn't think anything of it, he's dramatic sometimes. Then he said the neighbors across the street were being evacuated out. So I checked out front.
They had cut off any access right in front of my vehicle. To the left where the conflict was - must have been the entire Wentzville police department. I saw a neighbor from 4 doors on the right come out so I went outside; an officer demanded I get inside immediately because there was open gun fire.
I could see slightly down, enough to see a police car with an officer sitting behind it - armed. He had what I assumed was an AR-15 and had his sights on the home. Over the intercom police attempted to coax the suspect out of the home. First I concluded someone went in and held the family hostage. Someone mentioned a bomb threat.
After 20 minutes these strange police sirens sounded at the entrance to my neighborhood and I figured it was SWAT. You could hear the feedback from that huge SWAT van everywhere, it peeled tires coming in and backed itself into the driveway. SWAT also swarmed out back of the homes through our yards, then you couldn't see them anywhere as I assume they were just laying in waiting.
Out front the SWAT vehicle opened up the back doors and put down a square package. They went in the vehicle, the package opened up four extensions and wheeled itself up to the home - a Bomb Bot, to survey the home layout and go inside to see who was there.
30 minutes later, SWAT cleared and left. PD closed in, taped everything off.
Taping the Area Off
Apparently, before this incident a call was made about a shooting. They arrived on scene to find the young son, Collin, on the driveway bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. They later found the mother inside; dead from a gunshot wound also.
Neighbors are telling me she did it after an argument with the husband. There were never any issues with these neighbors before and I always saw Collin outside playing with his friend Simon across the street. I was more familiar with the original residents of the home before this family moved in but I had met them on occasion. This is one of those you just didn't see coming.
Collin is at the Children's Hospital in Saint Louis, ICU. I haven't heard anything else and am not connected to any of their family to stay in the loop - just watching my local news.
Everything feels slightly surreal, and also as if I just ran 5 miles and I'm extremely fatigued from being on end keeping watch. I am debating going to work mostly because my mind feels like a muddled mess; and I wasn't even involved.
I think what's bothering me the most is I'm thinking of how it happened, how they found him in the driveway, like he ran after being shot and laid there..it makes my heart hurt. Also for the mother; if what they say is correct and she shot her son, she wasn't well mentally for a long time - she needed help.
I wish there was something that could be done to help the situation but it's awkward; everyone has retreated inside, nobody knows what to say. Still surreal feeling.
Thanks: 
