Investigators say the pair were in a domestic relationship; the officer was not hurt.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A St. Louis police officer shot a 68-year-old man after he fatally shot a woman during an argument on a porch in the 5700 block of Waterman Avenue around 8 p.m. Monday, according to police. The officer was not injured, and the man was taken to a hospital.
Police said District 5 officers were called to the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood for a report of a man threatening a woman with a gun. As a 34-year-old officer with seven years of experience approached the home, the man opened fire and struck the woman, who later died at a hospital. The officer returned fire, and the man fired back, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Detectives recovered a handgun at the scene and notified the department’s Force Investigation Unit, which handles all police encounters that result in death or life-threatening injury. The shooting marked the second critical incident in the city within about three hours Monday night.
Police identified the victim as 67-year-old Mary Jackson. Authorities said the suspect is a 68-year-old man who lived at the address and was in a domestic relationship with Jackson. He remained in critical and unstable condition late Monday. The officer involved was not named. Police said the initial call reported a man threatening a woman inside a residence. Officers found the pair arguing in a doorway when they arrived. The officer’s body-worn camera status was not immediately available, and officials did not say how many shots were fired. No neighbors or officers were reported injured, and detectives canvassed the block for surveillance video after the scene was secured.
In a brief update early Tuesday, police said the Force Investigation Unit is leading the review and will compile a report for prosecutors once interviews and evidence collection are complete. The department said a handgun believed to belong to the suspect was recovered near the porch, and evidence markers stretched across the front steps and walkway. Detectives photographed shell casings and measured distances from the entryway. Investigators also took statements from the responding officer and from residents who heard gunfire. Police did not release the suspect’s name, citing medical status and notification procedures. The department declined to comment on any prior 911 calls from the address, saying those records will be reviewed as part of the case file.
Skinker DeBaliviere is a densely populated neighborhood north of Forest Park with a mix of apartment buildings and single-family homes. Monday night’s fatal shooting came amid a series of recent police-involved incidents in the St. Louis region under parallel review by city and county agencies. While police stressed that each case is investigated on its own facts, the department has emphasized its protocol for force incidents: securing the scene, interviewing officers and witnesses, and submitting findings to prosecutors. Neighbors described hearing several shots in quick succession and then a lull before additional patrol cars arrived. As of early Tuesday, crime scene tape still blocked the immediate area while technicians completed measurements.
Police said the internal review will include ballistics testing, a timeline of officer dispatch and arrival, and any footage from body cameras or nearby private systems. The officer was placed on the routine administrative track used after shootings while the department completes interviews and waits for the suspect’s medical stabilization for questioning. Detectives will also request the woman’s autopsy findings from the medical examiner to align wound paths with the sequence of shots described by witnesses. Officials declined to say whether additional 911 calls were made from the home before officers arrived, noting that the call log is part of the ongoing evidence record.
City officials plan to release further updates after investigators notify next of kin and complete preliminary interviews. If the suspect’s condition changes, police said they will update the case classification and, if warranted, present the file to prosecutors for potential charges related to the woman’s death and the exchange of gunfire with police. The Force Investigation Unit’s final report will be forwarded to the circuit attorney’s office for independent review. No time frame was announced.
On the block Tuesday morning, orange evidence paint dotted the sidewalk, and a single porch light glowed above the entry. Two neighbors said they saw officers rush up the steps and heard a woman cry out just before shots rang out. “It was fast, then quiet,” said a resident who lives across the street. Another neighbor said police checked nearby yards with flashlights and spoke with building managers about camera access. Several residents left for work as detectives wrapped up measurements and removed tape from one side of the street to reopen traffic.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police said the investigation remains open and active. The next update is expected after additional interviews and lab work are completed this week.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.