ST. LOUIS –  Police now believe a 16-year-old boy who was killed may have been shot by someone within his group during a string of break-ins.

The incidents took place overnight at Vermont Avenue in south St. Louis, where surveillance cameras showed multiple individuals breaking into cars, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police (SLMPD).

“At some point, the thieves were interrupted and the group of car break-in suspects fired multiple shots at an individual. And while those shots were ringing out, the 16-year-old who was breaking into cars was shot by someone in the same group,” said Mitch McCoy, Director of Public Affairs and Information for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

FOX 2 spoke with individuals who had their car damaged.

“When I was watching it, they were breaking in,” Dawn Page said. “I was on the phone with dispatch. Every car they broke into, they pointed their gun at the house that they were in front of.”

Another resident told FOX 2 the shooting happened right in front of him, and  he claims that he watched it unfold just feet away.

“They told (the 16-year-old) to get inside the car. He didn’t want to get in the car. This is when they shot him. He was on the ground,” Robert Casseus said.

An investigation into the shooting and car break-ins is ongoing. Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation.