Man charged in shooting of 7-year-old girl

A 48-year-old north St. Louis man faces five felony counts for his role in a shooting just southwest of downtown that left a seven-year-old girl in critical condition.

Elvis C. Smith, of the 4800 block of Kennerly, faces the following charges:

• First degree assault
• Second degree assault
• Two counts of armed criminal action
• Unlawful possession of a firearm

According to the probable cause statement from circuit attorney Jennifer Joyce, Smith shot at an unidentified defendant during an argument Sunday over a previous drug deal. The other man was not hurt, but a bullet struck a seven-year-old who was playing nearby. She remains in critical condition at a local hospital.

The statement says when Smith was arrested, he admitted to firing at the other man, who identified Smith in a line-up, as did other witnesses. Smith is jailed on a $250,000 cash bond.

In a statement last night, the St. Louis police department says it "owed a special debt to the the community members who stepped up and cooperated with investigators."