In late March 2022, authorities in Northwoods, a municipality in St. Louis County, Missouri, were drawn to a residence on Colonial Avenue following a distress call. The incident centered around Dwight Hogan Sr., a 59-year-old African American man, who was the subject of a welfare check at his home. Officers arrived at the scene near the intersection of Colonial and Ascension avenues late in the evening, responding to reports regarding a shooting that had just occurred at the property.
Upon arrival, law enforcement personnel encountered an armed individual attempting to leave the premises. This confrontation escalated rapidly when the suspect opened fire on the responding officers, leading to a shootout in the street. While the officers returned fire, the gunman managed to flee the immediate area on foot, escaping into the surrounding neighborhood. Fortunately, no police officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. Following the violent encounter outside, investigators entered the residence where they discovered the lifeless body of Dwight Hogan Sr., who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The ensuing investigation quickly identified the fleeing suspect as the victim's 24-year-old son, Dwight Hogan Jr. Detectives learned that after the shooting at the family home, the younger Hogan had visited a friend's house nearby. During this visit, he reportedly admitted to harming his father before leaving again. A search of the area concluded the following morning when police located the suspect’s body just a few blocks away from the crime scene. He was found deceased from what authorities determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Law enforcement officials classified the tragedy as a murder-suicide, citing a domestic dispute as the likely catalyst for the fatal violence. Family members later expressed shock and grief, describing the elder Hogan as a dedicated father and grandfather. Because the sole suspect took his own life shortly after the crime, the case was closed without any arrests or criminal prosecution.
