In the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis, a 63-year-old woman named Michelle Sobel was fatally shot on the morning of Sunday, October 23, 2022. The incident, which also resulted in injury to a 44-year-old woman, took place in the 6600 block of Michigan Avenue. Both women were transported to a hospital, where Sobel was pronounced dead.
The shooting stemmed from an argument over a pink hoverboard.
Authorities reported that a man, later identified as 29-year-old Michael Winston, was seen on surveillance video riding the hoverboard into the Michigan Market. The passenger in the SUV that Sobel was driving reportedly took the hoverboard. Winston's lawyer stated that the hoverboard held sentimental value for his client as it had belonged to his sister who had recently drowned. In response to the theft, Winston opened fire on the fleeing SUV, striking and killing Sobel.
Following the incident, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department homicide detectives sought public assistance in identifying the suspect, describing him as approximately 5-foot-8-inches tall and weighing 150 pounds, and considering him armed and dangerous.
In October 2025, Michael Winston was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He reached a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of unlawful use of a weapon. As part of the deal, charges of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action were dismissed. In court, a letter from Sobel's daughter described her mother as a kind, caring, and forgiving person who had recently moved to St. Louis to be closer to her family. Winston offered an apology to Sobel's family during the court proceedings.
