Five people were killed and two others wounded in a "targeted mass shooting" against a family in southwestern Illinois, authorities said.
Two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, have been taken into custody in connection with the shootings, which occurred primarily Sunday at three locations in East St. Louis, including a park. Police have not yet detailed the relationship between the victims, but at least one suspect is connected to the family.
Those killed ranged in age from 21 to 74. One resident, Marcus May, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he lost stepchildren, his mother, and a sister, describing the loss as "my whole family in one fell swoop."
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly called the shootings "terrible" and "evil" but stated that the progress the city has made will not be lost. East St. Louis, a city of about 17,500 residents across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, recorded 15 homicides in 2025, a decrease from 34 in 2020.
City council member Courtney Hoffman emphasized that the violence was not random, telling KTVI-TV, "This is not a mass shooting where you have to worry about going to the grocery store and someone opening fire."
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attacks. A decision regarding criminal charges for the two detained teenagers could come by Tuesday, according to St. Clair County State's Attorney James Gomric.