Police ID 12-Year-Old Boy Shot, Killed Tuesday

2:30 p.m. Update:

The School District of University city released the following statement about Demetri's personality.

"Demetri had a really good sense of humor. He was creative and came up with stories full of adventure. He liked football. He had good manners and good class participation."

Our original story:

University City Police have identified the 12-year-old boy shot and killed Tuesday in University City as Demetri Phillips.

See our previous story:  

Demetri was shot Tuesday evening by a 12-year-old friend at the home of the friend's grandfather, University City Police Deterctive Sgt. Fredrick Lemons II told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

According to a press release, Demetri suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to Children's Hospital, where he later expired in the emergency room. The weapon was recovered at the scene.

Shantana Stewart, interim director of communications for the School District of University City, told Patch Demetri was a sixth grader at Brittany Woods Middle School.

Stewart said the district sent a team of counselors to the school this morning to talk with students and staff.

"We will also send a parent letter home tonight and continue to work to help the Brittany Woods community through this," she said.

Police were called to a home in the 1500 block of Westmont Place around 6 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a 12-year-old boy with a gunshot wound.

Demetri was taken to Children's Hospital where he later died. 

The gun belonged to the grandfather of a classmate of the victim. The children were playing at the grandfather's home. 

Sgt. Lemons told the Post that the grandfather kept the handgun under a pillow in his bedroom. The gun had no trigger lock on it, and the door to the bedroom was unlocked.

Quoting from the Post story:

Police are investigating whether to seek charges against the grandfather for improperly storing the gun. Lemons said the gun was legally owned by the grandfather, who didn't try to hide its location from the grandson who lived with him.

"I don't think it was a secret," Lemons said.

The other child was taken to Family Court as the investigation continues.