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The shootings occurred primarily Sunday at three locations in
East St. Louis, including a park. East St. Louis, population
17,500, is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. It had
15 homicides in 2025, down from 34 in 2020, records show.
“It's terrible. It's evil. But it will not keep this city down,”
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly told reporters
Sunday, referring to the shootings. “The progress we have made
will not be lost.”
Troopers stopped a vehicle and arrested two teens suspected in
the shootings, Kelly said.
A motive remained under investigation, he said. The victims who
died were 74 years old, 49, 25, 24 and 21. Kelly did not detail
the relationship between the victims but said at least one
suspect was connected to the family.
Marcus May told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he lost
stepchildren, his mother and a sister — “my whole family in one
fell swoop.”
A decision about criminal charges could come by Tuesday, St.
Clair County State's Attorney James Gomric said.
“This feels like something that would happen on ‘The First 48,’
not right across from you,” said Keveon Johnson, referring to
the true-crime TV series. He lives in a public housing
development where one of the shootings occurred.
City council member Courtney Hoffman said it was not a random
act of violence.
“This is not a mass shooting where you have to worry about going
to the grocery store and someone opening fire,” Hoffman told
KTVI-TV.
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