Three-year-old dies after she was struck by stray bullet in East St. Louis apartment

A 3-year-old girl died after she was struck by a stray bullet while she was lying in her bed Sunday in an apartment at the Roosevelt Homes in East St. Louis, police said.

Police Chief Kendall Perry identified the girl as Calyia Stringer. He said she died about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

No arrests have been made. Perry asked that anyone with information about the shooting to call the police department at 618- 482-6600.

Perry said Calyia was watching television in the apartment at 1328 N. 44th St. when the stray bullet came through a bedroom wall and struck her. The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m.

Cortez Slack, chief of public safety for the East St. Louis Housing Authority, said housing authority officers and East St. Louis police went to the apartment after they received a report of shots fired around 9:30 p.m.

Assistant Chief Ontourio Eiland, Officer Dennis Hill and Officer Isaiah Sherrod were performing CPR on Calya when Perry arrived on the scene.

Perry called on people using guns to find another way to resolve their differences. He said many people struck by gunfire are innocent victims.

“This just shows why this gun violence has to end,” the chief said.

Perry said the community has to help curb gun violence.

“Anyone who sees something, please say something,” he said “The community has to work hand in hand with the police department to help us get the people who do not want to follow the law off our streets. Anyone who knows something about any crime please call the police department.”

This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 7:01 PM.