A 4-year-old bystander was killed by a stray bullet Wednesday during a shootout involving St. Clair Township Police officers and a suicidal man.
The shootout occurred on St. Clair Avenue just after 2 p.m. when two officers approached a possibly suicidal man walking down the street and attempted to speak to him.
The man, later identified as 30-year-old Joseph Como, opened fire on the officers who returned fire. One of the officers was struck in the head and is listed in critical condition.
Bullets also struck a 4-year-old girl who was at a dentist's office. She was flown to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
“The 4-year-old girl has tragically passed away from her injuries. Please pray for her and her family,” police said.
The suspect also died from gunshot wounds. As of Wednesday night, authorities were still investigating the incident.
“We’re trying to gather information as fast as we can so we can update the community,” said Police Chief Brian McKenzie.
“Right now, we need the community to pray for our officer and the child who were shot.”
