History of Bosnian Americans in St. Louis

[1] According to the refugee organization International Institute of St. Louis, the metropolitan area had about 70,000 people of Bosnian origin circa the late 1990s and early 2000s, the highest recorded number as of date.

[2] On September 29, 2013, the Bosnian community donated a replica of the Sebilj (kiosk-shaped public fountain) to the city of St. Louis for its 250th anniversary.

The murder caused shock in the Bosnian community of St. Louis and protests were held against violent crime.

While the belief that Begić was targeted due to his ethnicity or race contributed to racial tensions between the Black community and white Muslims of Bosnian descent, St. Louis police did not believe the attack had any ethnic or racial basis.

[6] According to the 2022 5 Year American Community Survey, there were 7,686 foreign-born residents in the St. Louis Metropolitan region that were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 10,588 foreign-born residents in Chicago that were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina.