On August 8, 2020, 29-year-old Babacar Dia was driving a white Volkswagen Tiguan through the Wellston area of Saint Louis, Missouri, when his vehicle was struck by gunfire from a high-powered rifle. A bullet from an AR-15 hit Dia in the back of the head, causing him to lose control of the SUV; the vehicle crashed and Dia died of his injuries. Police opened a homicide investigation into the ambush-style attack.

Authorities later identified suspects and charged two men with second-degree murder, alleging the shooting was intentional but not premeditated and noting the use of an assault-style rifle. One of the accused, Demarcus Pierce, was released on bond and was later found fatally shot in Riverview, Missouri; St. Louis County police investigated his death and any possible link to Dia’s killing while proceedings continued against the remaining co-defendant.

If anyone has information about the shooting, the suspects, or Pierce’s death, please share what is known.