Donulette DeShea Smith, a 32-year-old Black female from St. Louis, Missouri, was a devoted mother and entrepreneur whose life was cut short during a violent weekend in the summer of 2017. Known affectionately as 'Shea' to her friends and family, she had built a reputation in her community as a hardworking cosmetologist and a talented baker. She was raising four children—Keshaun, Christopher, Justice, and Journee—and was remembered for her humor, her love for her family, and her
entrepreneurial spirit.
On July 9, 2017, Donulette became one of several victims of gun violence that plagued the city that weekend. Reports from the time indicated that multiple shootings occurred across St. Louis within a short timeframe, leaving several people dead and others injured. Donulette was fatally wounded during this surge of violence, a tragedy that left her young children without their mother and her extended family, including her brother and aunt, in a state of profound grief.
Despite the passage of time, online sources and memorials indicate that her case has faced significant challenges regarding legal resolution. As of the available information, there have been no reports of specific suspects being arrested, charged, or convicted in connection with her murder. Family members and friends have expressed their enduring pain and the lack of closure on memorial pages, lighting candles and sharing memories years after her death, while the circumstances surrounding the specific individual responsible for the shooting remain publicly unresolved.
