Investigators say no suspects were in custody Monday after a woman was shot Sunday evening in north St. Louis County.
NORTHWOODS, Mo. — A 35-year-old woman died after a shooting Sunday evening in Northwoods, and St. Louis County police said detectives were investigating the case as a homicide after the victim was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The shooting drew officers to the 6900 block of Pine Ridge Drive at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said Northwoods officers were first sent to the scene, where they found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken to an area hospital, but officials later said she died from her injuries. By Monday, the victim had been identified as Deara Banks, 35, of Hazelwood.
The case quickly shifted from an emergency response to a homicide investigation. St. Louis County police said the Northwoods Police Department asked county detectives to take over the case, a step that often happens when a smaller department needs additional investigative resources after a fatal shooting. Authorities had released only limited details by Monday, and they had not said whether Banks was shot inside or outside a vehicle, whether investigators had identified a suspect, or what may have led to the gunfire.
Television images from the scene showed a black Kia Forte with its rear windshield shattered and the car resting near a tree as yellow tape blocked off the area. Police processed the scene into the evening while traffic in the neighborhood was restricted. The visible damage suggested investigators were closely examining the vehicle as part of the case, though officials had not publicly explained what role, if any, the car played in the shooting.
The killing added to a violent weekend in the St. Louis area and left another north county neighborhood waiting for answers. Pine Ridge Drive sits in a residential part of Northwoods, a small municipality in north St. Louis County, where a major police response can quickly draw attention from neighbors and passing drivers. As officers worked the scene, much of the public record remained unfinished: police had not announced an arrest, released a suspect description or said whether they believed Banks had been targeted.
For now, the investigation appears to be in its early stages. Detectives were expected to continue reviewing evidence from the scene, including the damaged car, and to interview witnesses as they work to build a timeline of what happened before the shooting. Police had not announced any charges by Monday, and no court action had been tied publicly to the case.
The case stood Monday as an open homicide investigation, with county detectives handling the next steps and no suspects in custody.
Author note: Last updated April 6, 2026.