Illinois State Police arrested two teenagers on Sunday following a targeted mass shooting that left five family members dead in East St. Louis.
The suspects, aged 15 and 16, were taken into custody at Holten State Park, east of the city.
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Formal charges have not yet been filed.
State Police Director Brendan Kelly described the violence as "horrific" and "evil," but said it would not keep the city down.
The shootings occurred at three separate locations in East St. Louis. Authorities said at least one of the suspects is related to at least one of the victims.
The deceased were identified as Patricia A. May, 74; Cherie L.
May, 49; Shania W. Thompson, 25; Devin D.
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May, 24; and Quentin L. Thompson, 21.
Two surviving victims were taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.
Kelly noted that quintuple shootings are extremely rare in Illinois history.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is at least the 12th mass murder in the U. S.
in 2026, with at least seven classified as family annihilations. The group has recorded over 240 mass shootings nationwide this year.
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East St. Louis borders Missouri, which has looser gun laws compared to Illinois, including no permit requirement, no private transfer regulations, and no prohibition on minors possessing weapons.
