ST. LOUIS — What began as a birthday celebration quickly turned into a tragedy that forever changed a north St. Louis family. But in the midst of unbearable loss, one woman who’s lived that same nightmare is stepping in with an act of kindness that’s bringing hope and healing.

On Saturday, May 24, 9-year-old Jordan Neal was shot and killed in what his family believes was a random road rage incident. His father, Richard Neal Jr., and 10-year-old brother, Richard Neal III, were also hit by gunfire. The family had just exited I-70 near Union and Bircher Boulevard, heading to a gas station, when someone in a red Nissan Altima pulled up beside them and opened fire. Credit: Richard Neal Jr.

“It was my birthday… and now it’s my son’s death day,” said Jordan’s mother, Johnisha Hillard. “Hor

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