O’FALLON/ST. LOUIS, MO. – The St. Louis Blues organization expressed its support for Colin Brown, a 16-year-old hockey player who was critically injured by a stray bullet on November 23, 2024, while returning home from a high school hockey game. Brown was riding in a vehicle driven by his father, Calvin Brown, on Interstate 55 in South St. Louis when the incident occurred. He is currently hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Colin Brown is a student at Christian Brothers College High School in Town and Country, Mo., and plays for the school’s varsity hockey team as well as the Affton Americans hockey club. The shooting has prompted an outpouring of support from the local hockey community, which has rallied around Brown during this difficult time. Brown is a resident of the O’Fallon area.
Dan Duffy, a member of the hockey community, shared his thoughts on the situation, emphasizing the unity that has emerged among rival teams.
“At this moment, those rivalries do not exist,” Duffy said. “Virtually every kid who plays for any school has showed their compassion for this young man and how he’s fighting for his life. This is what humanity looks like. This is how we should be treating each other…especially those with whom we have differences. Our commonality in our humanity is more important than any of the noise that seeks to divide us.”
In a gesture of solidarity, players from various teams observed 72 seconds of silence in honor of Colin, recognizing his number on the Affton Americans team. This spontaneous act of respect occurred during a game between rival schools and was echoed by other teams in the area.
The St. Louis Blues also joined in the support by encouraging the hockey community to “put sticks out” in honor of Colin. This tradition involves placing hockey sticks outside of homes as a sign of respect and remembrance for players in the hockey community, symbolizing shared grief and support for affected families.
Duffy said: “In hockey, ‘putting sticks out’ refers to a tradition where people place their hockey sticks outside their homes or in a visible location as a way to show respect and remembrance for a deceased player within the hockey community, symbolizing a shared grief and support for the family of the lost player; it’s essentially a visual way to say ‘we are thinking of you’ and honoring the game itself.”
A public prayer vigil for Colin was held on Monday night at the MetroRecPlex in O’Fallon, where attendees gathered to show their support. At least three hockey teams were present, many carrying sticks marked with Colin’s number.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, the community remains hopeful for Colin’s recovery and continues to demonstrate its solidarity in a time of need.
