WASHINGTON PARK — Two people were arrested Oct. 1, 2026, in connection with the fatal shooting of a St. Louis man in Washington Park in August, 2026, Illinois State Police said in an Oct. 3 report.
Brandon Bland Jr., 18, of East St. Louis, and Maliyah Lancaster, 19, of Washington Park, each face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Eric Swearengen, 22. Lancaster also faces a charge of unlawful possession of a machine gun or automatic weapon.
Washington Park police requested state police assistance with the homicide investigation Aug. 1. Swearengen and a female passenger were stopped at 1422 N. 46th St. when the shooting occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m., police said.
Swearengen attempted to drive away but crashed one block away at 1524 N. 46th St. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Special agents with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 Major Crimes Unit identified Bland as a suspect during the investigation. The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the murder charge against him Aug. 13 after agents presented the case.
Investigators later identified Lancaster as an additional suspect. State police agents arrested both suspects Oct. 1, and the state’s attorney’s office approved the charges against Lancaster Oct. 2.
The murder charges are Class M felonies. Lancaster’s weapon charge is a Class 2 felony.
As of Oct. 3, Bland and Lancaster remained in the St. Clair County Jail awaiting their first court appearances.
The charges are not evidence of guilt. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
