EAST ST. LOUIS, IL — Two teenagers were arrested Sunday in connection with what Illinois state police called a targeted mass shooting in East St. Louis that killed five members of the same family and injured two others. The suspects, ages 15 and 16, were taken into custody at Holten State Park east of the city, though officials said they had not yet been formally charged.

State police said the violence unfolded across three locations in and around East St. Louis and remained under active investigation.

Family members identified

Authorities identified the people who died as Cherie L. May, 49; Devin D. May, 24; Patricia A. May, 74; Quentin L. Thompson, 21; and Shania W. Thompson, 25. Two people hurt in the shooting were taken to a hospital in nearby St. Louis, Missouri, officials said.

Police said at least one of the suspects was related to at least one of the victims, but they did not say more about that connection.

Rare but devastating

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said no bystanders were injured. He also said five-fatality shootings have happened in Illinois before, but they are still very rare.

Kelly described the killings as horrific and said the violence would not define the city, even as investigators continued to sort out what led up to the attack.

Wider gun violence picture

The case fits a pattern often described as a family annihilation, a term used for attacks in which one person kills several close relatives. Gun Violence Archive data cited in the source says the East St. Louis killings were at least the 12th mass murder reported in the United States so far in 2026.

The same records show more than 240 mass shootings nationwide this year, using the definition of four or more people wounded or killed. The article also notes that Illinois has stricter gun laws than neighboring Missouri, which does not require permits to buy or carry firearms.

Missouri border details

East St. Louis sits on the Illinois side of the state line, just across from Missouri, where the rules on gun purchase, carrying, and private transfer differ sharply. The source says Missouri does not require permits to buy or carry firearms and does not regulate the transfer or storage of private firearms.

Officials did not say how the teenagers may have obtained guns. The investigation remained open as of Sunday night.

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