A teenager in St. Louis County is shot dead after a verbal altercation.

 Missouri's St. Louis County — Following a verbal disagreement late Friday night, a 17-year-old lost his life in a horrific shooting that has left the neighborhood in shock. Damonte Hightower was shot and killed in the 11000 block of Larimore Road, according to the authorities.

Nykelte Wilburn, 23, is accused with second-degree murder and several other connected felonies, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. According to court records, officers reacted to a ShotSpotter alert on August 29, 2025, at around 10:37 p.m. According to surveillance footage, Wilburn shoots Hightower following a brief verbal altercation.

After being hurried by onlookers to a local hospital, Hightower unfortunately died on August 30 at 12:17 a.m. Both eyewitness reports and security footage were used to identify Wilburn.

Wilburn has also been charged by prosecutors with two charges of unauthorized use of a firearm (firing from a motor vehicle), armed criminal activity, and failure to report a gunshot. A $1 million cash-only bond is currently being used to hold him.

Authorities encourage anyone with more information to get in touch with local law enforcement as the investigation is still underway.