ST. LOUIS - Family members, community activists and local organizations gathered Friday night in north St. Louis to hold a candlelight vigil for Trena Peters, a 53-year-old grandmother who was fatally shot on her front porch.

The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, in the 6000 block of Shulte Avenue. Police say homicide detectives are investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made.

Jeffery Mims, Trena's partner, said he was out of state trucking when he received the call that she had been shot.

“This was a senseless killing and it should’ve never happened! Never," Mims said.

Trena had been living temporarily on Shulte Avenue after losing her home in the May 16 tornado. Her partner, Jeffery Mims, mentioned that she was close to securing a new place of her own.

“I haven’t had time to grieve yet, but we trying to hold up. Keeping busy! I got a lot to do to help the family get the things they are supposed to get," Mims said.

Organizations like Show Me Peace stood beside the family in support during the vigil. The home where Trena's life was taken is now decorated in her favorite colors, blue and white.

The family plans to launch a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs, and another vigil is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m.

Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact CrimeStoppers, where tips can be submitted anonymously and may lead to a reward. CrimeStoppers can be reached at (866) 371-8477 (TIPS).

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.