Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington, Both Gunned Down in the Early Morning Hours and Found with Fatal Gunshot Wounds in a Crashed Sedan in Walnut Park West Just Before 3 A.M.; Emergency Crews Pulled Their Lifeless Bodies from the Vehicle as Police Investigate Whether the Crash or the Gunfire Came First—Families Now Grieve Amid Unanswered Questions and Rising Gun Violence
In the early darkness of Tuesday morning, under dim streetlights on a quiet stretch of Walnut Park West in St. Louis, a sedan came to a mangled stop, wrecked and riddled with bullet holes. Inside were two young men—Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington—both victims of gunfire, both dying before emergency crews could save them. It was just before 3 a.m. when first responders arrived to a scene that has since left two families shattered and a neighborhood once again grappling with the relentless pace of gun violence.
As paramedics and fire crews worked frantically to pull both men from the wrecked vehicle, they realized the scene was far more than a car accident. The bodies of Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington bore multiple gunshot wounds—the telltale signs of a targeted shooting. And yet, the question that investigators are still working to answer is chilling in its ambiguity: What came first—the crash, or the gunfire?
Police have not released the precise sequence of events. What is known is that at some point in the early hours of May 28, 2025, something or someone intercepted Donovan and Shiquan, cutting their lives short. Whether they were ambushed while driving, shot before the vehicle crashed, or fired upon in the aftermath of a pursuit, remains part of the still-unfolding investigation.
What is not uncertain, however, is the anguish that followed.
The Victims: Who Were Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington?
Donovan Whitt, age 26, and Shiquan Washington, age 28, were both lifelong residents of North St. Louis. Described by friends and family as funny, fiercely loyal, and hardworking, they had grown up in similar neighborhoods and became close over the years through mutual friends, school, and work.
Donovan, the younger of the two, was known as someone who never turned his back on family. He had recently started working in maintenance at a local apartment complex and was considering taking night classes at a nearby trade school to study electrical work. Those close to him said he was quiet but focused, and that he spent much of his time helping his mother care for his younger siblings.
Shiquan Washington, meanwhile, had dreams of opening his own detailing shop. Known for his love of cars and music, he had recently bought his own tools and was slowly trying to build up clients. He had no children, but he was a devoted uncle to his niece and nephew, and often served as the “cool big brother” figure to neighborhood kids.
Their lives weren’t perfect—both had experienced struggles that come with growing up in an area plagued by crime and limited opportunity—but neither was known to be involved in criminal activity. Their deaths, say loved ones, were not inevitable but a senseless erasure of two hopeful futures.
The Scene: A Silent Street, A Shattered Vehicle
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to reports of a vehicle crash with possible injuries around 2:55 a.m. on a stretch of Harris Avenue near Thekla Avenue, a residential street in Walnut Park West. When they arrived, they found a dark-colored sedan with significant front-end damage wrapped around a street sign, its windshield shattered, and bullet holes visible on the driver’s side and rear passenger doors.
Inside, Donovan Whitt was in the driver’s seat, slumped and unresponsive, while Shiquan Washington was found in the front passenger seat, also unconscious. Paramedics attempted CPR and rushed both men to the hospital, but neither survived.
Officers immediately cordoned off the scene, collecting shell casings from nearby and launching an investigation into the origins of the shooting. A ballistics team arrived shortly after, along with crime scene technicians who documented the trajectory of bullets through the vehicle. Surveillance cameras from nearby homes and businesses were retrieved and are now being reviewed for evidence.
Detectives have stated that the volume and grouping of shots suggest intentional targeting, though no suspects have yet been named. It is unclear if the shooting was the result of road rage, a planned ambush, or a retaliatory act.
Gunfire or Crash: The Unanswered Sequence
One of the most pressing questions remains unanswered: Did the vehicle crash after the shooting, or were the men shot after crashing? That timeline is critical in understanding not just what happened, but why.
Forensic investigators are conducting trajectory analysis, autopsy reports, and gunshot residue testing to determine how close the shooter or shooters were and whether either victim was struck before or after the impact.
There are currently no known eyewitnesses, and the late hour of the incident has complicated efforts to build a timeline. While ShotSpotter technology in other parts of the city helps triangulate gunfire, Walnut Park West does not currently have that infrastructure, further complicating matters.
A Neighborhood Scarred Again
Walnut Park West is no stranger to violence, but the deaths of Donovan and Shiquan have hit the neighborhood especially hard. With two young men killed under mysterious and violent circumstances, many residents feel a mix of grief, fear, and fatigue.
“We’re tired of burying our boys,” said one community elder during a candlelight vigil held just 24 hours after the incident. “We’re tired of asking who did it and never getting an answer.”
The vigil, held near the crash site, was attended by over 100 people, including family members, childhood friends, and local clergy. As the sun set, candles lined the sidewalk, and mourners held photos of the two young men, releasing white and red balloons in their memory.
Donovan’s mother, through tears, told the crowd:
“My son didn’t deserve this. He was coming home. He was just trying to get home.”
Shiquan’s sister echoed the sentiment:
“They were just two young men trying to live. Not gangsters. Not troublemakers. Just… gone now.”
The Families Left Behind
The families of both victims are now navigating a storm of emotions—grief, anger, confusion, and the deep ache of not knowing why. Both families have launched GoFundMe campaigns to cover funeral costs, and both have issued public pleas for anyone with information to come forward.
Investigators say community tips are vital in this case and have established a dedicated hotline for anonymous leads. Despite public distrust in law enforcement among some residents, the families are urging neighbors to speak up.
“Someone saw something. Please, please don’t let this get swept under the rug,” said Donovan’s aunt. “We need closure. We need justice.”
A Wider Epidemic
The deaths of Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington are more than isolated tragedies—they’re part of a broader crisis gripping cities across America. According to CDC data and local homicide tracking, Black men ages 18 to 35 are among the most likely to die from gun-related violence, often in urban neighborhoods that have endured systemic disinvestment and over-policing without corresponding investment in education, employment, and trauma care.
Community leaders in St. Louis have long advocated for increased violence interruption programs, mental health services, and youth mentorship initiatives, but implementation remains uneven.
“We keep waiting for the next murder to remind us to care,” said Rev. Elijah Watson of the St. Louis Urban Outreach Coalition. “But by then, it’s already too late. Too late for Donovan. Too late for Shiquan.”
Moving Forward
For now, the investigation into the deaths of Donovan Whitt and Shiquan Washington continues. Police have promised to “follow every lead” and utilize all forensic and digital tools at their disposal. But as with so many cases of violence, especially those that happen in the dead of night with no witnesses, justice will not come easily—and it will not come quickly.
In the meantime, two families must plan funerals instead of birthdays, while a community braces for what could be yet another unsolved killing if answers don’t come soon.
What’s left behind are memories—of laughter, of dreams once spoken aloud, of lives interrupted. And what remains ahead is a singular, aching question shared by all who loved them:
Why?
Tags: Donovan Whitt, Shiquan Washington, Walnut Park West shooting, St. Louis double homicide, crash and shooting investigation, gun violence victims, North St. Louis crime, unsolved shootings, victim memorials, youth gun deaths, St. Louis violence prevention
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