St. Louis County homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting of an elderly woman in Oakville.

In response to a 911 call, police from the South County Precinct found Betty Knight, 84, dead on her back porch in the 5000 block of Crosswood Drive around 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to police spokesman Brian Schellman.

Knight’s husband, Dale, told officers that he was on the back porch with his wife when he heard what he believed was a gunshot and saw her bleeding at the neck. He immediately called 911, but his wife died before authorities could arrive. The house is a half mile from Oakville Elementary School.

The St. Louis County Crimes Against Persons Unit is actively investigating the shooting as a homicide, and detectives said they found no signs of a break-in.