Police were called to the 5100 block of North Highway 67 in Black Jack overnight after reports of a shooting on the property of Daystar Church, and by Friday morning investigators still had few answers about what triggered the gunfire or whether anyone was hurt.
According to First Alert 4, which first reported the incident, police are actively investigating the shooting and say they are still working to learn more about the situation. The outlet, citing reporting from journalist Ella Holt, did not specify whether the shooting happened during any church activity or while the building was closed for the night. Those basic questions — including whether anyone was injured and whether a suspect has been identified — remain open as the investigation continues.
Daystar Church sits along North Highway 67, also known as Lindbergh Boulevard, in the Florissant and Black Jack area of North St. Louis County, according to funeral home records that reference the property's address on file with Walker Funeral Service. The church has served as a regional worship center and community venue in the area, hosting memorial services and neighborhood outreach programs, per records from Bi-State Cremation & Funeral Service.
County Police Handle the Investigation
Black Jack does not run its own police department. Instead, the small North County municipality contracts full law enforcement and patrol coverage from the St. Louis County Police Department, according to the Show-Me Institute. That arrangement is why county officers, rather than a local force, are handling the overnight shooting call — county police patrol Black Jack through its North County Precinct, which also conducts joint active-shooter and emergency response training with neighboring departments like Florissant Police.
Fire protection and any emergency medical transport for the area is handled by the Black Jack Fire Protection District, which is headquartered less than a mile from the church at 5675 North Highway 67. The district expanded to full EMS transport operations in late 2023, giving it the capacity to respond directly to medical emergencies along the corridor.
A Legal Wrinkle Tied to Church Grounds
Because the shooting happened on church property, investigators may also have to weigh a specific piece of Missouri law. Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.107, carrying a concealed firearm inside a church or place of worship is illegal without explicit consent from the minister or governing religious organization — though the law makes an exception for a firearm simply stored inside a vehicle parked on church grounds. Police investigations at houses of worship often have to sort out whether any weapon involved was lawfully present under that statute.
The question of guns in churches has also drawn attention at the state level. Missouri lawmakers introduced House Bill 1848 during the 2024 legislative session specifically to reconsider rules around concealed weapons at places of worship, reflecting a broader, ongoing debate in Jefferson City over sanctuary security regulations, per BillTrack50.
A Community Already on Edge
Black Jack is a suburban municipality of roughly 6,500 residents in northeast St. Louis County, where Black or African American residents make up about 88% of the population, according to Data USA. The community has weathered other major emergency responses in recent memory — last August, a house explosion on nearby Evan Aire Drive destroyed three homes, damaged more than 20 others, and injured five people, drawing a coordinated response from county bomb squad detectives and regional fire crews.
The Black Jack City Council has also spent recent months focused on public safety, reviewing community concerns about traffic enforcement and police oversight along residential streets during meetings last October. This is not the first violent incident St. Louis County Police have investigated in Black Jack this year: a drug-deal shooting turned felony charge made headlines in the city just months earlier.
For now, the overnight shooting at Daystar Church remains under active investigation, with St. Louis County Police yet to release details on injuries, suspects, or a motive. Hoodline will update this story as county investigators release more information.
