Two teenagers have been arrested in Illinois following a shooting spree that killed five family members, and one of the teens was charged with murder and dismembering a body.
The Illinois State Police said that the shooting spree took place across multiple locations in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Sunday, July 12.
Police have identified the deceased as family members Patricia A. May, Cherie L. May, Shania W. Thompson, Devin D. May and Quentin L. Thompson.
Authorities announced in an updated statement on Tuesday, July 14, that a 15-year-old girl and 16-year-old Ja’ymier Davis have been arrested in connection with the killings.
The investigation began on July 12 after human remains were found at a home in East St. Louis. The remains were eventually confirmed to belong to Cherie, 49.
After Cherie’s body was found, investigators discovered four bodies across multiple locations in East St. Louis. Authorities confirmed that all of the victims were related to the 15-year-old girl that was arrested.
Davis has been charged as an adult and is facing five counts of first-degree murder, one count of dismembering a human body, two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking and one count of unlawful use of a firearm, according to the recent statement.
It is not currently clear if Davis has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
Meanwhile, the statement explained that the St. Clair County State’s Attorney is seeking to charge the 15-year-old with first-degree murder as an adult.
Family members of the victims claimed to KARE 11 that the 15-year-old was Patricia’s granddaughter. Relatives said that Patricia, 74, was the matriarch of the family, while Cherie was her daughter and Devin, 24, was her grandson. Quentin, 21, and Shania, 25, were siblings, though it’s not currently clear how they were related to the Mays.
Two separate GoFundMe campaigns have been set up to help the May and Thompson families following the tragedy.
The Thompson siblings’ fundraiser page indicated that two other victims were injured in the shooting. The victims were identified as their mother, Tiffany, and a cousin. Both were taken to the hospital in serious condition and their current conditions have not been publicly shared.
Police have not yet shared if they believe there was a motive in the shootings, though they said that there is no current threat to the public.
