Investigators say 28-year-old Shannon O’Brien was not the intended target in a burst of gunfire that tore through a parking area off Windward Court.
FERGUSON, Mo. — St. Louis County homicide detectives are searching for suspects after rideshare driver Shannon LaRowe O’Brien, 28, was shot and killed Friday, Jan. 30, in a parking area off the 1700 block of Windward Court, where police say multiple people exchanged gunfire and O’Brien was struck while working.
Authorities say the case matters now because the shooters remain at large and investigators believe O’Brien was an innocent bystander caught in crossfire in a busy residential pocket near Windward Court. The St. Louis County Police Department is leading the probe at the request of Ferguson police. Detectives are reviewing surveillance video, processing ballistic evidence and mapping the barrage of shots as they work to identify the people who opened fire and fled the scene.
Officers were called just before 4 p.m. Jan. 30 for reports of shots fired near the Windward Court parking area. Responding units found O’Brien inside her vehicle with gunshot wounds; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Neighbors described a chaotic scene as several men jumped from cars and started shooting. “As soon as they opened the doors, it was just like a war,” one neighbor said. Early witness statements indicate O’Brien had arrived to pick up or drop off a fare when the shooting erupted nearby. Detectives marked dozens of shell casings and spoke with residents who sheltered behind parked cars and apartment walls during the volley.
St. Louis County detectives say preliminary evidence suggests at least two firearms were used. Investigators are tracing bullet trajectories, canvassing buildings for cameras and collecting doorbell footage from apartments and townhomes along Windward Court and adjacent courts. The agency confirmed O’Brien was not the intended target and that no arrests had been made as of Friday evening. Officials did not immediately release vehicle descriptions for the shooters, citing the need to corroborate witness accounts. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified O’Brien and confirmed her age as 28; relatives later said she lived in Edwardsville and worked regular shifts for a rideshare platform.
The area sits in north St. Louis County a few miles from West Florissant Avenue, a corridor with a history of gun violence and heavy traffic at afternoon hours. Residents say the open parking courts and cut-through streets create quick escape routes after shootings. Police records show county detectives often handle major crimes for municipalities like Ferguson, bringing crime-scene technicians, ballistics analysis and regional databases to bear. The shooting came amid a colder-than-average week that kept many people indoors, a factor neighbors believe prevented more injuries when the gunfire rang out.
Detectives said they are sequencing the timeline from the first 911 call to officer arrival, requesting lab rushes for shell-casing comparisons and checking regional license-plate readers for cars leaving Windward Court around 3:50–4:10 p.m. A county spokesperson said investigators will update the public when they have confirmed suspect descriptions or vehicle tags and that any charging decisions will come from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. If arrests occur, initial court appearances would be set at the county courthouse in Clayton. An autopsy and full toxicology report for O’Brien are pending standard review, with results to be forwarded to detectives.
Residents who stepped outside after the shooting described shattered glass and fresh tire tracks across patchy grass between the courts. A delivery driver said he ducked behind a sedan as bullets “popped like fireworks.” A maintenance worker who had been moving trash bins said he guided two teenagers into a breezeway to wait until police arrived. “She was working, just doing her job,” the neighbor who heard the first shots said, shaking her head at the taped-off lot as officers photographed the scene and tow trucks removed vehicles for processing.
As of Friday night, police said the investigation remains active with detectives awaiting additional video and lab comparisons. Officials said they expect to release a brief update early next week after canvasses along Windward Court are complete and evidence is logged by the county crime lab.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.