St. Louis Woman Fatally Shot, Niece Now In Custody

A St. Louis woman was reportedly shot and killed early Sunday morning and police have said that they arrested the woman’s niece in connection with the shooting.

According to St. Louis Today, the woman that was shot has been identified as Wendy Hall-Onkle, 40. Police reportedly received a 911 call around 1:50 am Sunday morning with reports of a possible shooting victim at the 900 block of Dammert Avenue in the Lemay area of South County.

Police say that when they arrived at the scene of the gunshots, police found Wendy’s body. Reports state that the shooting was a result of an argument between Wendy and her 23-year-old niece Jamie Onkle. According to CBS St. Louis, Wendy had gone over to Jamie’s home in the 100 block of Mann Street early Sunday morning, where an earlier argument escalated.

John Onkle told St. Louis Today that his wife Wendy and niece Jamie has been arguing earlier on in the evening about whether or not to attend a friends bachelorette party later that night. “Jamie didn’t want to go, because she don’t like (the bachelorette’s) fiancé,” John said.

John said that Jamie, and one of her cousins had come back to his house after a night out drinking and when he asked her to leave, John told reporters that his niece had allegedly thrown a “nearly full can of Bug Light in his face,” before dumping the contents of his wife’s purse onto the floor.

When Wendy returned later from the bachelorette party, John told her what had happened with his niece and at that point she went to confront Jamie. It is at that point that police believe Jamie shot and killed Wendy. “It’s just so hard. I can’t believe she’s gone,” John said.

Family members are all reportedly confused as to why Jamie would have shot Wendy. John said that he and his wife were very close to Jamie. “She’s family and all that,” he said of Jamie Onkle. “But she’s not my blood no more. I ain’t got no use for her.”

“I think the big question is why,” said St. Louis County Police Spokesman Officer Brian Schellman, “Why did this argument ensue? Why did this argument ensue at 1:50 in the morning?”

Though John did tell reporters that his wife had had a few drinks while out at the bachelorette party, he says that Wendy wasn’t drunk at the time she went to confront Jamie. Police say that they arrested Jamie at the scene, and she was charged Monday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. She is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

[Image via Shutterstock/Mariusz Niedzwiedzki]