In the Walnut Park West neighborhood of St. Louis, 53-year-old Trena Peters, a mother and grandmother, found her life tragically cut short by gun violence on a Tuesday afternoon. She had been temporarily residing with her best friend on Shulte Avenue after a tornado damaged her own home earlier in the year. Shortly after 4 p.m. on September 30, 2025, Peters stepped onto the front porch, preparing to leave for her job on the de-icing team at Lambert International Airport.
It was then that multiple gunshots suddenly rang out, and she was struck in the chest, neck, and leg.
Her best friend, upon hearing the loud series of shots, ran outside to find Peters lying on the porch. She immediately called for emergency services and attempted to render aid by applying pressure to the wounds and performing CPR when Peters stopped breathing. Despite these efforts and being rushed to a hospital, Trena Peters succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. The incident left her family and friends devastated, remembering her as a loving and caring person who did not deserve such a violent end.
The investigation into the homicide led police to 19-year-old Shaun Hickman. According to police reports, Hickman, who had previously lived in the area, was seen on security camera footage walking up to the porch where Peters was sitting and shooting her. The footage reportedly showed him continuing to fire even after she had collapsed. In a senseless extension of the violence, he also shot a neighbor's dog that had run into the street, killing the animal. Following the shooting, Hickman was seen getting into an SUV and leaving the scene.
Based on the video evidence and identifications from multiple people, Shaun Hickman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and abuse of an animal for his alleged roles in the deaths of Trena Peters and the dog. At the time of the reports, police were continuing their investigation but had not publicly released a motive for the crime. Community members and loved ones gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember Peters and plead for an end to gun violence.
