Dominique Hoskins, a 28-year-old father and special education teacher, was shot outside the restaurant where he worked evenings.
NORMANDY, Mo. — A 28-year-old special education teacher and pizza delivery driver was fatally shot Wednesday night outside a Domino’s restaurant in Normandy, leaving his family grieving and police searching for the person responsible.
Relatives identified the victim as Dominique Hoskins, a father of two who had another child on the way. Hoskins taught special education at Hamilton Elementary School in St. Louis and worked at the Domino’s location to support his family. No arrest had been announced by Friday, and authorities had released few details about what led to the shooting.
Police responded at about 8 p.m. Wednesday to the restaurant on Natural Bridge Road near Lucas-Hunt Road. Officers found Hoskins outside the business with a gunshot wound. Emergency crews attempted to help him, but he died after the attack. Investigators remained at the property for hours as patrol vehicles blocked part of the parking lot and officers examined the area around the storefront. Authorities did not say whether Hoskins had just returned from a delivery, was preparing to leave on one or was taking part in another work duty when he was shot. Police also had not publicly described a suspect or released information about a possible vehicle. Family members said they rushed to the scene after learning Hoskins had been hurt. They later learned he had died. His relatives said they could not understand why anyone would target him. “He didn’t deserve that,” a family member said while describing the shock surrounding his death.
Hoskins’ relatives remembered him as a patient, respectful man who cared deeply about children and treated people with kindness. They said his role at Hamilton Elementary School was more than a regular job because he worked with students who needed added attention and support. His workday continued after classes ended. He reported to Domino’s during evening hours and delivered food across the area. Family members said he took on both jobs to provide for his children and prepare for the arrival of his third child. The shooting suddenly left those children without their father and left students without an educator they knew and trusted. Relatives described Hoskins as someone who avoided trouble and focused on his family, his students and his work. Investigators had not said whether anything was stolen, whether an argument occurred or whether Hoskins knew the gunman. Those questions remained unanswered as detectives collected evidence and interviewed people connected to the restaurant and surrounding businesses.
The killing occurred along a busy commercial stretch of Natural Bridge Road near the intersection with Lucas-Hunt Road in north St. Louis County. The area includes restaurants, shops, bus traffic and residential streets. Activity around the Domino’s location continued into the evening, increasing the possibility that drivers, customers or nearby workers may have seen something before or after the shooting. Police did not say whether investigators had obtained surveillance recordings from the restaurant or neighboring properties. Such recordings could show when Hoskins entered the parking lot, where the attacker approached from and how the person left. Detectives also had not disclosed how many shots were fired or whether officers recovered a weapon, shell casings or other physical evidence. The lack of public information added to the strain for Hoskins’ relatives, who said they wanted to know what happened during his final moments. They also called for anyone with useful information to speak with investigators so the case would not remain unresolved.
The case remained an active homicide investigation Friday. Detectives were expected to continue reviewing video, checking calls for service and speaking with employees, customers and people who were near the business Wednesday night. Authorities had not announced criminal charges or identified a person of interest. Police also had not stated whether they believed the shooting was planned, connected to a robbery or caused by a chance encounter. Those distinctions will shape the direction of the investigation and any charges that could follow. If police identify a suspect, prosecutors would review the evidence before deciding whether to file charges such as first-degree murder, second-degree murder, armed criminal action or robbery. The exact charges would depend on evidence about intent and the events leading to the gunfire. Officials had not announced a news conference or set a date for releasing additional findings. The medical examiner’s office was also expected to document the cause and manner of death as part of the case record.
Outside the restaurant, the ordinary signs of a neighborhood pizza business stood beside the scene of a violent death. Delivery vehicles moved through the same parking area where investigators had worked hours earlier. For Hoskins’ family, however, the business had become the place where a routine work shift ended in tragedy. Loved ones said he had been doing what he often did, earning money for his household after spending the day helping children at school. They described him as a dependable father and an important part of their family. His death also affected two different groups that knew him in different roles: students and school employees knew him as an educator, while co-workers and customers knew him as a delivery driver. Family members said those roles reflected the same qualities, including patience, responsibility and concern for others. They asked for answers about who killed him and why, saying an arrest would begin to bring accountability even though it could not restore the life his children lost.
As of Friday, police had reported no arrest and had not released a suspect description. Hoskins’ family was preparing to mourn a father, educator and provider while investigators continued seeking evidence from the Wednesday night shooting.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.