A frantic call to dispatchers on an April evening marked the horrifying final moments of 70-year-old Norma Moore's life. 'My son... he's got a gun,' she managed to say before the line was punctuated by the sound of two gunshots. This chilling alert set in motion a tragic sequence of events at a home on Woody Court in Hazelwood, Missouri, ending in the deaths of Norma and her 63-year-old husband, James Moore.
The female victim's life was cut short in what should have been the safety of her own home.
When Hazelwood police arrived at the residence just after 7:30 p.m. on April 11, 2023, they were met with a volatile scene. In the street, they found the couple's 31-year-old son, Joseph Moore, armed with a pistol. An officer ordered him to drop the weapon, but Joseph instead fired a shot at the officer. The officer, who was not hit, returned fire and missed. In that same moment, Joseph turned the gun on himself, sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
After Joseph Moore's self-inflicted injury, police discovered the grim reality of the initial call. Norma Moore was found in a pool of blood in the carport, and her husband, James, was located just inside the residence. Both had been fatally shot. Joseph, who lived with his parents, was transported to a hospital in serious condition but was expected to survive. Police had been called to the residence for mental health-related issues in the past.
In the aftermath of the deadly encounter, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office filed charges against Joseph Moore. He faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. A judge set his bail at $500,000 cash. Following his hospitalization, Joseph was to be transferred to the St. Louis County Justice Services, where he would remain under police guard. A definitive motive for the tragic killings has not been publicly revealed by authorities.
