Salem has never been short on secrets, but this latest twist may just be the most jaw-dropping yet. For weeks, fans have been on the edge of their seats, desperate to unravel the truth behind the shocking shooting of EJ DiMera. Rumors swirled, fingers were pointed, and one name seemed to rise to the top of the suspect list: young Rachel Black.

Rachel, the daughter of Kristen DiMera, found herself in the eye of a storm that no child should ever have to weather. Her cryptic words, uneasy glances, and reluctance to open up only deepened the cloud of suspicion hanging over her. But in true Days of Our Lives fashion, things are rarely as simple as they seem. And now, a chilling revelation threatens to flip everything we thought we knew on its head: Rachel didn’t shoot EJ—her own mother, Kristen, did.

The Night That Shattered Salem

It was supposed to be just another tense evening at the DiMera mansion, a place where wealth and elegance conceal decades of betrayal and simmering grudges. But that night, the air felt different—charged, dangerous. EJ DiMera, never one to shy away from confrontation, had ruffled more than a few feathers recently. Business disputes, personal vendettas, and unresolved family drama were all boiling beneath the surface.

Then, in an instant, a single gunshot ripped through the mansion, sending shockwaves across Salem. EJ collapsed, and the once carefully balanced chaos of the DiMera household erupted into outright pandemonium. Who could have wanted EJ dead badly enough to pull the trigger? As the investigation began, one name kept surfacing—Rachel.

Rachel’s Silence and Kristen’s Denial

Rachel’s role in the events of that night has been cloaked in mystery from the start. Her innocence, contrasted against the heavy burden of what she might have witnessed—or done—made her both a sympathetic figure and a prime suspect. When Rachel confronted her mother, asking, “Are you one of them, Mom?” the moment cut through the air like a knife. Kristen, ever composed, reassured her daughter that she had been watching her sleep that night, offering what she hoped would be a comforting alibi.

But Rachel’s memory didn’t match her mother’s story. She recalled sneaking downstairs, her bare feet padding quietly along the grand staircase. She saw… something. And whatever it was, it has kept her from telling the full truth. Kristen swore to Rachel, “I didn’t do it,” her tone soft but firm. Yet in Salem, oaths like these are fragile things—often shattered by the weight of what’s really hiding in the shadows.

A Child in the Middle of a Dangerous Game

Rachel’s decision to keep quiet is a heartbreaking example of the impossible choices Salem’s youngest residents sometimes have to make. She’s caught between love for her mother and the horrifying possibility that Kristen could be guilty of something unforgivable. If she’s lying to protect someone, logic points straight to Kristen—a woman whose past is a patchwork of manipulation, ambition, and cold-blooded strategy.

Could Rachel have seen Kristen in that darkened study, gun in hand, standing over EJ’s wounded body? The image is chilling. A mother and daughter’s bond, once unbreakable, now weighed down by the burden of a deadly secret.

The Hypnosis Breakthrough

The investigation took a sharp turn when EJ underwent hypnosis with Dr. Marlena Evans. EJ’s memory of that night had been fragmented, clouded by shock and trauma. But under Marlena’s careful guidance, pieces began to click into place. The most damning? The shooter was a woman.

With that revelation, Johnny DiMera was ruled out as a suspect. Focus shifted to the four women in the mansion that night: Ava Vitali, Gabi Hernandez, Chanel Dupree, and Kristen DiMera. Each had their own reasons to resent EJ, each had their own potential breaking point.

Four Women, Four Motives

Ava Vitali – The woman with a vendetta. Ava’s long, tangled history with the DiMeras is littered with betrayal and revenge. EJ’s recent business moves had threatened her precarious power, and many believed she could have snapped.

Gabi Hernandez – A woman scorned. Gabi’s volatile relationship with EJ has been marred by personal and professional betrayals. Her fiery temper and history of impulsive decisions made her a serious contender for the role of shooter.

Chanel Dupree – The unexpected wild card. Though her connection to EJ wasn’t as direct, Chanel’s ties to the DiMera orbit and potential for being caught up in someone else’s scheme couldn’t be ignored.

Kristen DiMera – The mother with the most to lose. Kristen’s history with EJ is a complex mix of loyalty, rivalry, and power plays. Her emphatic denial to Rachel might have been genuine… or it could have been the performance of her life.

The Truth Slips Through the Cracks

While suspicion danced between all four women, Rachel’s increasingly troubled behavior became harder to ignore. In a world where lies are currency, her silence screamed volumes. And now, insiders reveal that Rachel’s loyalty may have been exactly what allowed Kristen to walk free—at least temporarily.

The pieces line up too perfectly: Kristen, fueled by anger and cornered by EJ’s moves against her, confronting him in the dim light of the mansion’s study. The glint of a weapon. The sharp, deafening crack of a gunshot. And Rachel, hiding in the shadows, seeing everything.

Why Would Rachel Protect Kristen?

The answer is both simple and devastating: love. For all her flaws, Kristen is Rachel’s mother, and Rachel’s world revolves around her. Admitting the truth would destroy that world—and possibly send Kristen to prison. To a child, that’s unthinkable.

But there’s another layer. What if Rachel isn’t just protecting Kristen? What if she’s also protecting herself from the fallout of revealing what she knows—fallout that could shatter the DiMera family in ways we haven’t yet imagined?

What Comes Next?

With EJ’s memory sharpening and the pool of suspects narrowing, the clock is ticking for Kristen. Marlena’s hypnosis session gave EJ a lifeline, a way to reclaim control, but it also made Kristen’s position more precarious than ever.

If the truth comes out—and in Salem, it always does—Kristen could face the ultimate betrayal: exposure at the hands of her own daughter. But Rachel’s courage may falter at the critical moment, leaving Salem to wonder whether the truth will ever see the light.

Meanwhile, Ava, Gabi, and Chanel must navigate the storm as suspicion swirls around them. Even if Kristen pulled the trigger, the tangled web of lies, half-truths, and hidden motives means that no one in the DiMera mansion that night is truly innocent.

The Fallout for Salem

EJ’s shooting has sent ripples of fear and suspicion through Salem. The residents are grappling not just with the act itself, but with the knowledge that someone among them—a mother, a lover, a friend—was capable of it.

For Rachel, the emotional toll is almost unbearable. For Kristen, the question is whether she can keep the walls from closing in. And for EJ, it’s a fight to expose the truth before the shooter strikes again.

One thing’s for certain: this is far from over. Days of Our Lives has never shied away from high-stakes drama, and this storyline is primed to deliver even more jaw-dropping twists. As the truth inches closer, alliances will crumble, loyalties will be tested, and the DiMera family may never recover from the fallout.

Salem may think it’s seen the worst. But if Kristen’s guilt is exposed—and Rachel’s part in the cover-up comes to light—this will be a scandal for the history books.