County detectives took over the case after a woman wounded on Pine Ridge Drive later died at a hospital.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Detectives in St. Louis County were working Monday to piece together what happened in a Northwoods shooting that left a 35-year-old woman dead after officers responded to Pine Ridge Drive on Sunday evening.
Police said the shooting was reported at about 5:30 p.m. in the 6900 block of Pine Ridge Drive. Northwoods officers arrived and found a woman with life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died. On Monday, officials identified her as Deara Banks, 35, of the 6900 block of Noble Drive in Hazelwood. Authorities had not announced any arrests and said no suspects were in custody.
The investigation moved into the hands of the St. Louis County Police Department after Northwoods police asked the county to lead the case. That transfer placed county detectives at the center of the evidence review, witness interviews and decision-making about any future charges. Even with the victim identified, key parts of the story were still unknown Monday, including how many shots were fired, whether the shooter and victim knew each other, and whether investigators believe the attack was targeted or random.
What stood out publicly was the scene itself. News crews reported seeing a black Kia Forte near a tree with the rear windshield blown out as officers sealed off the area with crime-scene tape. The vehicle appeared to be a major point of attention for investigators, though police did not say whether Banks had been inside it when she was shot. That left open several possibilities about where the shooting happened and how the events unfolded in the minutes before officers arrived.
The neighborhood setting also sharpened the urgency around the case. Pine Ridge Drive runs through a residential section of Northwoods, and a fatal shooting there can unsettle nearby residents even before police release a detailed account. With no suspect named and no motive announced, the case remained defined more by unanswered questions than by confirmed explanations. That is common in the first day of a homicide inquiry, when detectives are still sorting physical evidence, surveillance footage and witness statements.
What happens next is likely to depend on what investigators recover from the scene and from interviews in the coming days. If detectives identify a suspect, prosecutors would then review the case for potential charges. If not, the inquiry could remain open while police continue gathering records and forensic evidence. By Monday, officials had not announced a briefing, filed charges or outlined a public timeline for the next update.
As of Monday, the case remained an active homicide investigation, with detectives still working to establish exactly how Banks was shot and who was responsible.
Author note: Last updated April 6, 2026.