View source for Guns Claim Lives Of 2 More Children In St. Louis

<br>ST. LOUIS (AP) - Guns have claimed the lives of two more children in the St.<br>Louis area amid growing frustration about violence in the state's largest cities.<br> <br>St. Louis County police say 3-year-old Rodney March III was killed Thursday in what appears to be an accidental shooting, while 13-year-old Clifford Swan III was fatally shot while walking through an apartment complex.<br>They are among 22 children killed in shootings in the St. Louis metropolitan area so far in 2019, compared to 13 at the same time last year.<br> <br>The 3-year-old's death led prosecutors to file a child endangerment charge Friday against 28-year-old year-old Rodney March II, who is accused of leaving a loaded .40 caliber Glock within reach of the boy.<br><br>Charging documents say the child was able to get the gun and shoot himself in the head.<br> <br>Also Friday, 18-year-old Jabari Lowery was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Clifford's death. A second suspect, 17-year-old Montez Eskew, was charged with assault and resisting or interfering with a felony arrest.<br> <br>Bond is set at $100,000 for March, $500,000 for Lowery and $50,000 for Eskew.<br> <br>The shootings follow a particularly bloody week in Kansas City, which recorded five homicides in a 24-hour span. The city's homicide total for the year stands at 107 as of Friday.<br> <br>Amid the bloodshed, Democrats have been pressuring Republican Gov.<br><br>Mike Parson and GOP leaders in the House and Senate to discuss the issue during a special legislative season this week on used vehicle taxes. While that didn't happen, Democrats did convince them to start talking about what might be done to address the violence.<br> <br>Senate President Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, told the St.<br>Louis Post-Dispatch Friday that he has convened an eight-member working group to investigate whether to form a special committee on gun violence. Earlier, House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, said he has a group of GOP lawmakers working to craft legislation addressing gun violence that could be unveiled when the Legislature returns in January.<br> <br>It's unclear what kinds of solutions Republicans might agree to consider in an election year.<br><br>St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said last week she wants Missouri lawmakers to allow the city of St. Louis to require permits for concealed weapons. Another proposal would reverse a 2016 law allowing non-felons to carry concealed weapons without a permit.<br> <br>Parson, who is up for  [https://travelmic.hpage.com/top-10-largest-state-in-india-by-area.html https://travelmic.hpage.com/top-10-largest-state-in-india-by-area.html] election in 2020, also has met with St.<br>Louis area leaders multiple times in recent weeks with an eye on announcing a crime-fighting plan soon, although he has cautioned that he wants to protect the Second Amendment rights of Missourians.<br>