ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — An 18-year-old Florissant man has been charged in the killing of a Lyft driver who authorities say was caught in a planned shootout between rival groups in Ferguson.
Damien Stevens was certified as an adult by the St. Louis County Family Court on Oct. 1, 2026, and charged that day in the Jan. 30, 2026, death of Shannon O’Brien, 28, according to information released Oct. 5, 2026, by St. Louis County police. O’Brien is an Edwardsville High School graduate.
The St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office charged Stevens with second-degree felony murder, two counts of armed criminal action and first-degree assault. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, with no 10% payment option.
According to the probable cause statement, Stevens and others had an ongoing conflict with a rival group identified as the VonniGang. Investigators said a search of a co-suspect’s phone revealed an agreement between members of the opposing groups to meet and resolve the conflict through a shootout.
Gunfire erupted when the groups arrived, killing O’Brien, according to the statement.
Investigators recovered a firearm with distinctive modifications at the scene. The probable cause statement alleges Stevens had previously posted an Instagram photo of himself holding a firearm that strongly resembled the recovered weapon. Video and rideshare records also showed Stevens fleeing the scene with co-defendant Lamarkus Van, according to the statement.
Ferguson police responded to a report of shots fired in the 1700 block of Windward Court shortly before 4 p.m. Jan. 30. Officers found O’Brien suffering from a gunshot wound in the driver’s seat of a blue Hyundai Elantra. She died at the scene.
According to previously released probable cause statements, O’Brien had transported three passengers to the location in her Lyft vehicle. Investigators allege the passengers were involved in the conflict and that gunfire erupted between their group and people in a Chevrolet Malibu.
Stevens is among several people charged in the case.
Kamarionne Carter, 17, was certified as an adult and charged Sept. 29 with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Carter is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond.
Van, 17, was certified as an adult and charged Aug. 10 with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and first-degree assault or attempted assault. His cash-only bond is $1.5 million.
Cortez Alexander, 17, was certified as an adult and charged July 22 with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and first-degree assault or attempted assault. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond.
Noah Johnson, 18, was charged March 17 with first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and aiding or abetting a person shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in physical injury or death. His cash-only bond is $750,000.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
