A 15-year-old girl and her 16-year-old boyfriend have been arrested in connection with a shooting spree that killed five relatives and injured two others in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Sunday. The motive appears to stem from the girl's resentment over being switched to homeschooling, according to her father.
The victims were identified as Quentin Thompson, 21; Devin May, 24; Shania Thompson, 25; Cherie May, 49; and Patricia May, 74. Two other individuals sustained serious injuries but survived the attacks.
Marcus May, the father of the 15-year-old suspect and uncle to some of the victims, expressed devastation and revealed a series of concerning incidents leading up to the violence. He stated that his daughter had been experiencing behavioral issues at school, which prompted him and her mother to transition her to homeschooling. This decision reportedly angered the girl.
According to Marcus May, his daughter had previously run away from home and stolen her mother's credit card. Five days before the shooting, he received a call from his daughter's mother reporting that the girl had run away again and taken a gun. May also claimed that the girl's mother had mentioned a disturbing group chat involving the teenage couple and other minors, where plans to harm family members were allegedly discussed. He admitted he did not take this threat seriously at the time.
On the day of the shootings, Marcus May said Patricia May, the girl's grandmother, called her granddaughter and urged her to come home, believing she could manage her behavior. Meanwhile, Marcus May had contacted the boyfriend's parents, attempting to have their son stay away from his daughter. The girl's mother subsequently reported her missing and the stolen gun to the police, but authorities had not located her before the killings occurred.
Police confirmed the incidents constituted a "targeted mass shooting" and occurred across three locations in East St. Louis. Shania Thompson was found in a car near an abandoned property, Quentin Thompson was discovered on the other side of Interstate 64, and the remaining three victims were found at the Samuel Gompers apartment complex. The Illinois State Police have arrested the two teenagers, who have not yet been formally charged.
Marcus May shared his profound grief, stating, "I lost my whole family in one fell swoop." He expressed disbelief that his daughter could be involved in such violence and indicated he could not offer sympathy. Tributes from other family members described the deceased as loving individuals and good people. A GoFundMe has been established to support the surviving family members, noting the compounding pain of two young family members allegedly being responsible for the murders.