07/15/2026
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FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY WERE KILLED. TWO MORE ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES.
THE MASS SHOOTING OF THE MAY AND THOMPSON FAMILY
East St. Louis, Illinois | July 12, 2026
An entire family was torn apart Sunday after a targeted shooting unfolded across multiple locations in East St. Louis.
By the end of the day, five relatives had been killed and two others were left critically wounded.
According to Illinois State Police, the violence stretched across three crime scenes: a residence near 39th and Summit streets, the Samuel Gompers Homes in the 400 block of North 6th Street, and Jones Park on Argonne Drive.
The victims who lost their lives have been identified as:
• Patricia A. May, 74
• Cherie L. May, 49
• Shania W. Thompson, 25
• Devin D. May, 24
• Quentin L. Thompson, 21
Two additional family members survived the shootings and remain hospitalized in critical condition. Their identities have not been released.
Illinois State Police said two juvenile suspects, ages 15 and 16, were taken into custody after a vehicle pursuit ended with a PIT maneuver inside Frank Holten State Park.
Authorities said the two suspects are related to one another, and at least one is related to the victims. Because both suspects are juveniles, their identities have not been released.
Investigators have described the shootings as a targeted attack against one family but have not released a motive.
Unconfirmed information circulating on social media alleges that one of the juvenile suspects is a female relative of the victims who was upset after her boyfriend—the other juvenile suspect—was reportedly not allowed to live at her mother's home after being removed from his own residence. Those claims have not been confirmed by Illinois State Police, and investigators have not publicly connected them to the motive.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly described the killings as "terrible" and "evil" while emphasizing that they do not define the East St. Louis community.
Anyone with information about the shootings is urged to contact the East St. Louis Police Department or the Illinois State Police.