St. Louis County, MO – A tragic shooting in north St. Louis County has left a 17-year-old dead and a 23-year-old man facing murder charges, after the entire incident was captured on surveillance video.
Authorities say the shooting happened on August 29, 2025, just before 10:37 p.m., following a brief verbal altercation in a neighborhood near Jennings. According to investigators, Nykelte Wilburn, 23, fired a single gunshot from inside a vehicle, striking Damonte Hightower, 17.
Police were alerted to the gunfire through the ShotSpotter detection system and quickly responded to the scene. Hightower was rushed to a nearby hospital, but despite emergency efforts, he was pronounced dead at 12:17 a.m. the following morning.
St. Louis County police confirmed that surveillance cameras in the area recorded the shooting in full, leaving little doubt about what transpired that night. The video, combined with eyewitness testimony, allowed detectives to swiftly identify Wilburn as the suspect.
He was taken into custody and now faces several charges, including second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.
The deadly shooting has shaken the local community, where neighbors say Hightower was known as a bright, respectful teenager with his future ahead of him. “Seventeen is just too young,” one resident said. “He should have been thinking about his senior year, about college, not losing his life to gun violence.”
Community leaders and anti-violence advocates are calling for renewed efforts to address the cycle of shootings in St. Louis County, where young lives are too often cut short. “Every time we lose someone this young, it’s not just one family hurting — it’s an entire community,” said one pastor at a nearby church.
A memorial of candles, balloons, and flowers has already begun to grow at the site of the shooting as friends and classmates gather to mourn Damonte’s life.
Wilburn remains in custody as prosecutors move forward with the case. A bond hearing is scheduled for later this week.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging anyone with additional information to contact St. Louis County detectives or CrimeStoppers.