ST. LOUIS — The woman suspected of opening fire on police officers Friday in downtown St. Louis has been released from jail without being charged with a crime.
Note: The video above is from Friday when the shooting happened.
Police arrested the 54-year-old woman after she allegedly traded gunfire with officers around 9:45 a.m. in the 700 block of N. 16th Street. Police were called there after the woman allegedly threatened to shoot up the Social Security Administration office.
When officers arrived, the woman, who was inside a gold Toyota minivan with racial slurs spray painted on it, told police that she was going to shoot up the office. At that point, officers called for backup.
A sergeant was standing at the woman's door and trying to convince her to get out of the car when she fired her gun, police said. Officers returned fire.
The shooting was captured on a bystander's cellphone.
No one was struck. Following the exchange, the woman threw the gun from the car and surrendered, police said.
A staff member at the City Justice Center confirmed to the I-Team that the woman was released at 1:58 p.m. Saturday.
Multiple sources tell the I-Team that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s Office declined to charge the woman, citing more police follow-up needed as the reason.
The St. Louis Police Department has not responded to our requests for comment.
A spokeswoman for Gardner’s office told 5 On Your Side Saturday, “The case is under investigation and we can’t comment further.”
5 On Your Side is not naming the woman because she hasn’t been charged with a crime.
She lived out of her van and is well known to officers and people in the neighborhood, police said.
St. Louis police officers spotted her walking around downtown Saturday after her release, according to multiple sources.
“I'm pretty sure that nobody was aware that she had a gun and her mental state. I mean this really could have got bad,” said Lt. John Green shortly after the shooting.
It was unclear why the woman was threatening to shoot up the building in the Downtown West neighborhood.
The Force Investigation Unit, which investigates police shootings, is leading the investigation.