Attention FIRST members:
Local news stations are currently reporting that there was a shooting right next to the Edward Jones Dome, where the FIRST Championship is currently being held:
This is scary news, and I hope that no FIRST members were affected by this. We’re all here to have fun and experience the Championship for all its worth, but make sure you proceed with a little extra caution while you’re here.
Sounds like someone who had not previously benefited from being part of the FIRST program.
+1 !
This also isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Way back in 2009 a guy committed suicide by cop in Centennial Park during the Einstein Finals. Fortunately the incident occurred a couple of hours before the teams were let out to go to the afterparty.
Also in 2012 there was a mass shooting at a medical clinic across the street during the Pittsburgh regional (2 people shot dead) that caused a lock down on the event and an evacuation of the people in the clinic to the arena. They just did extra practice matches til the all clear was given.
Considering St. Louis is considered the second most dangerous city in the country (at least it was last year according to Forbes), I can’t exactly say I’m surprised. FIRST really needs to stop picking cities on that list. (Atlanta was #6). I hear Detroit is nice this time of year!
You heard wrong! It snowed yesterday.
In all seriousness, I’m guessing the CMP is given tons of extra protection, which could’ve been why there was a cop in the vicinity of the Dome at all. Being cautious is always a good idea, but I don’t think this is a reason to feel threatened.
If you are worried about crime then they could always bring it back to Orlando, I am sure no one would complain about nothing to do either
Some helpful information. In St. Louis it is illegal to report that any violent acts are gang violence even though a vast majority of them are. My experiences in St. Louis have been pleasant and yours likely will be so long as your not affiliated with any gangs!! 
all the same though, be safe!
Hope this incident DOESN’T distract FIRST activities.
Its time CMP comes to MI, bring it to BIG HOUSE in UofM or FORD field!
Kind of goes with the territory of needing a city that can support the event. You need not only a large stadium/conference centre, but also enough nearby hotels to house the ~20-30k people the FIRST Championship brings to town, plus sufficient travel options for getting there, which leaves only a handful of major cities, which often have more violent crime. Only so much you can do.
That said, I agree that STL was a step in the wrong direction from Atlanta.
Yeah, this seems like an isolated incident, not someone going on a shooting spree near the dome. Most shooting incidents seem to be targeted at specific individuals and not random acts of violence. Though people can sometimes get caught in the crossfire or catch a stray bullet, I personally don’t think this is much to worry about. Of course, everyone should practice common sense–don’t go into sketchy areas, travel in groups, etc.
In doing research for a novel, I searched for the worst possible place, crime-wise, in the whole country, and I found East St. Louis, Illinois… which is right across the Eads Bridge, a few blocks from the Edward Jones Dome.
My numbers are a few years out of date, but at the time East St. Louis had, compared to the national average:
Murder rate 20x.
Assault rate 17x.
Rape rate 8x.
Robbery rate 6.5x.
Fortunately the river helps; the City of St. Louis fares better than its eponymous neighbor, but not enough to make anyone comfortable. They’re at 7.5x, 4.5x, 2x, 6x, respectively. For large cities, only Detroit and Flint fare worse.
That said, large groups are almost always insulated from all of the above; this means that being safe is a matter of awareness and common sense–stay in large groups, and don’t wander off.
As a St. Louis resident, I know that St. Louis is just like any city: you need to know where to go. As long as you don’t go onto the Eastern side of the river, you’re generally good. That said, it is a city, so you always need to be careful.
Here’s an article my school’s newsmagazine did this year on crime in St. Louis, if you’re interested:
Toronto is a great place. Come visit and bring Champs with you.
What? It seems like that might run afoul of the First Amendment.
Shooting and violence rarely happens in Detroit Downtown where FORD field, Joe Louis and COBO are located!:ahh: International Autoshow, and other major events is testimony for this.
Yes, Detroit city itself has its share of violence either due to drug peddlers or teens. CMP may be a good idea to motivate these teens into attending school, don’t you think?
Last year, there was a police action (their words) outside the MAR Championships at Temple University. It’s a known risk of any urban (and many non-urban) area.
Yeah, though there is almost always police action in Philly around Temple. I don’t think it’s something that you’ll ever be able to get rid of.
Hope everyone in St Louis is all right, and has a fun time at the Championships!
Most of the Drexel/Temple/UPenn students actually find it odd if they don’t get a few text alerts per week 
I think it says something sad that I actually laughed out loud at that …