Two other family members were wounded, and police took two teenagers into custody after stopping a vehicle connected to the attacks.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Five members of one family were killed and two others were wounded in shootings across three locations Sunday, authorities said, describing the violence as a targeted attack rather than a random threat to the community.
Illinois State Police said two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, were taken into custody after officers stopped a vehicle linked to the investigation. At least one of the teenagers is related to the victims and is suspected of having a direct role in the shootings, police said. Authorities had not announced formal charges or identified a motive as of Monday.
The five people killed were identified as Patricia A. May, 74; Cherie L. May, 49; Devin D. May, 24; Shania W. Thompson, 25; and Quentin L. Thompson, 21. Police said all five were members of the same extended family. The identities and conditions of the two surviving victims had not been fully released.
The shootings occurred at separate sites in East St. Louis, including a park, a residential area and a public housing complex, according to authorities and published reports. Investigators believe the attacks were connected and directed at members of the family. Police said they did not believe there was an ongoing danger to the wider public.
Officers located the teenage suspects in a vehicle after the shootings, state police said. Authorities used a maneuver designed to force a fleeing vehicle to stop before taking both teenagers into custody. Police have not publicly described the evidence that connected the vehicle or the teenagers to the attacks.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said investigators were working to determine the sequence of events and the role each person may have played. State police were coordinating with the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office as prosecutors considered possible charges. Because both people in custody are minors, authorities may be limited in what identifying information they can release.
Officials said the family connection between the victims and at least one person in custody was a central part of the investigation. Authorities had not disclosed what may have caused the violence, whether the shootings were planned in advance or whether any additional people were involved. Police also had not released details about the weapon or weapons used.
The killings brought a large law enforcement response to several parts of East St. Louis on Sunday. Investigators worked across the different scenes to collect physical evidence, interview witnesses and establish when each shooting occurred. Authorities have not said which victims were found at each location or in what order the attacks unfolded.
Police described the case as a targeted mass shooting because seven people from one family were shot during the connected attacks. The term “mass shooting” has no single legal definition, but law enforcement agencies and researchers commonly use it for incidents in which several people are shot during one event or a related series of events.
The deaths have shaken East St. Louis, a city in southwestern Illinois across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. Local officials expressed grief for the victims and their relatives while asking the public to allow investigators time to establish what happened. Authorities emphasized that the killings appeared to arise from a specific conflict and were not believed to be attacks on people chosen at random.
Investigators had not said whether either teenager had made a statement to police or had obtained legal representation. No court documents detailing the accusations were publicly available Monday morning. Any decision to charge the teenagers as juveniles or seek to move a case into adult court would require further review under Illinois law.
The investigation remained active Monday, with state police expected to provide additional information after consulting prosecutors. The two teenagers remained in custody while authorities worked to establish a motive, determine whether others participated and prepare possible criminal charges.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.