Five family members were killed and two others were gravely wounded in a series of targeted shootings in Illinois on Sunday. Authorities took two teenagers into custody following the incident, one of whom is a relative of the victims.
The shootings, described by police as a collective mass shooting, took place at three locations in the East St. Louis area: a public housing complex, a park, and a residence. The victims who died have been identified as Patricia May, 74; Cherie May, 49; Devin May, 24; Shania Thompson, 25; and Quentin Thompson, 21. The identities of the two individuals who were seriously wounded have not been released.
Illinois State Police Director Brenden Kelly stated that the events could be characterized as a mass shooting due to the familial relationship of the victims and the proximity of the incidents. "Because they are all related and because of the definition of what a mass shooting is, and also the proximity that, yes, this is a large city where they deserve multiple complex crime scenes, but because of one common connection and the way this has played, it may be appropriate to characterize it as a mass shooting," Kelly said.
Two teenagers, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old who are related to each other, were apprehended after a traffic stop. Kelly indicated that one of the teenagers is suspected of playing a direct role in the killings. Police have not yet established a motive for the shootings, and no charges have been filed as of Monday morning. Local officials have expressed bewilderment regarding the motive behind the violence.