On the night of May 21, 2024, 15-year-old high school freshman Dornae Hayes was fatally shot on the rear porch of a residence in the 2700 block of Miami Street in the Gravois Park neighborhood of South St. Louis. She had gone outside to charge her cellphone because the building lacked electricity when gunfire erupted from a nearby alley shortly after 11:00 p.m. ShotSpotter registered about 30 shots in the area.

Officers found Dornae with a gunshot wound to the head and she was taken to a local hospital, where she died. Investigators recovered numerous shell casings and placed evidence markers across the street and along a fence line; witnesses reported bullet holes around a doorframe and footprints suggesting someone tried to kick the door in amid the shooting. Police briefly detained two people after the incident but did not charge them; detectives are seeking two unknown males believed to have been in an unidentified vehicle during the attack and say no arrests have been made as of early 2026.

Dornae was a Hazelwood East High School student who took part in cheerleading and soccer. If anyone has information about the shooting or the vehicle and occupants seen that night, please share what is known with investigators.