On the night of May 21, 2024, tragedy struck in the Gravois Park neighborhood of South St. Louis when 15-year-old Dornae Hayes, a female high school freshman, was fatally wounded. The incident occurred shortly after 11:00 p.m. in the 2700 block of Miami Street. Dornae was reportedly sitting on the rear porch of a residence, where she had gone to charge her cellphone due to a lack of electricity inside the building.
While she was outside, gunfire erupted from a nearby alleyway, triggering the city’s ShotSpotter detection system, which alerted authorities to the sound of approximately 30 gunshots in the area.
When officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered the teenager suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency medical services rushed her to a local hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. Investigators found numerous shell casings and evidence markers scattered across the street and the fence line near where she had been sitting. Witnesses reported seeing bullet holes around the doorframe and footprints suggesting someone had attempted to kick the door in during the chaos, likely trying to escape the barrage of gunfire.
As of early 2026, homicide detectives have not made any arrests in connection with Dornae’s death. Initial reports from the scene indicated that police detained two individuals shortly after the shooting, but no charges were filed against them regarding the homicide, and authorities later clarified that they are searching for two unknown males who were believed to be occupying an unidentified vehicle at the time of the attack. Police have stated there are no active tips or leads that have resulted in an arrest and continue to appeal to the public for information that could help identify the gunmen responsible for killing the Hazelwood East High School student, who was known for her participation in cheerleading and soccer.
