On July 3, 2022, a violent incident unfolded in Sikeston, Missouri, claiming the life of 21-year-old Sh’Tyana Cortezia Ingram. A Black female known affectionately to friends and family as 'Shaay Herbo,' Ingram was at a gas station located at 833 East Malone Avenue during the early morning hours. Around 3:30 a.m., gunfire erupted at the location, striking Ingram and another individual.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene and transported Ingram to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment of her injuries. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The second victim involved in the shooting was taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center and survived the injuries.
The Sikeston Department of Public Safety, assisted by the Major Case Squad of Southeast Missouri, immediately launched an investigation into the deadly shooting. Authorities determined that the gunfire was not a random act, though specific motives were not immediately released to the public. Ingram, who had moved to Sikeston from Flint, Michigan, was remembered by her community as a devoted family member and a woman of faith who had been baptized at an early age.
In the days following the homicide, law enforcement made significant progress in identifying those believed to be responsible. A 16-year-old male from Charleston, Missouri, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and the unlawful use of a weapon. Due to his status as a juvenile, his identity was withheld from public release, and he was held at the Mississippi County Juvenile Detention Center. During the investigation, police also identified Demarcus Phillip Turner of Charleston as a person of interest and sought his whereabouts in connection with the shooting. Turner, who was later taken into state custody on charges related to violent crimes in the region, was identified by federal authorities as a suspected leader of a local drug trafficking organization.
