EAST ST. LOUIS – The investigation into the gruesome murder this past weekend of five people in East St. Louis continues.
Authorities in East St. Louis identified five family members killed in what investigators described as a targeted mass shooting as prosecutors filed murder and other felony charges against a 16-year-old male and are moving forward with a juvenile case against a 15-year-old female co-defendant.
The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office identified the dead as Quentin L. Thompson, 21; Devin D. May, 24; Shania W. Thompson, 25; Cherie L. May, 49; and Patricia A. May, 74.
According to Illinois State Police and prosecutors, seven people were shot Sunday morning at multiple locations in East St. Louis. Five people were killed and two other family members were injured and taken to local hospitals.
On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office announced a 12-count indictment against Ja’ymier Davis, 16, of East St. Louis. Davis was charged with five counts of murder, one count of dismembering a human body, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking and one count of unlawful use of a stolen firearm.
Illinois State Police said Davis was arrested by special agents with the Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 Public Safety Enforcement Group. Police said Davis is charged as an adult and is being held at the St. Clair County Jail pending his first court appearance.
A juvenile delinquency petition also was filed against a 15-year-old female, including charges of first-degree murder. The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office said it will seek to transfer that case to adult criminal court.
Investigators said the violence unfolded at several locations in the city. Police said one victim was killed in a home near North 39th Street and Summit Avenue in East St. Louis, and three others were killed in a home at the Samuel Gompers Housing Development. Authorities also said three people were shot at Jones Park, across the street from the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, and one of those victims died.
Illinois State Police said the East St. Louis Police Department requested assistance July 12, 2026, after human remains were discovered at the Samuel Gompers Homes. Police later identified the victim as Cherie L. May of East St. Louis.
Illinois State Police said the investigation identified the other four people who were killed, as well as two additional local victims who were injured in the shootings. Police said the victims are all related to the female suspect.
Prosecutors and police have not disclosed a motive. The charges also do not specify a motive for the killings or the alleged dismemberment.
One of the suspects is related to at least one of the victims, but police and prosecutors have not said which suspect and which victim.
“The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” authorities said.
