3

The St Clair county criminal court. Photograph: Google Earth View image in fullscreen The St Clair county criminal court. Photograph: Google Earth Two teens charged in fatal shootings of five family members in Illinois A boy, 16, and girl, 15, were charged with murder after the family members were shot at three different locations Two teenagers were charged with murder Tuesday in the killings of five members of an Illinois family who were shot at three different locations. A 16-year-old boy will be prosecuted as an adult, while the case against a 15-year-old girl will start in juvenile court before a possible transfer to the St Clair county criminal court, the county prosecutor’s office said. Five people were killed and two more were wounded, primarily on Sunday, in a “targeted mass shooting” in East St Louis, an Illinois city across the Mississippi river from St Louis, police said. Troopers stopped a vehicle and arrested the teens Sunday in a state park, the Illinois state police director, Brendan Kelly, said. Court documents don’t reveal a motive. But Marcus May, the father of the 15-year-old, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that the girl was upset with family members and plotted the attacks with Ja’ymeir Davis, her boyfriend. May said he lost a nephew, two stepchildren, his mother and a sister. They were 74, 49, 25, 24 and 21 years old. Davis was charged with murder and seven other crimes. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer who could comment on the allegations. A court hearing was pending. The shootings mostly occurred over the weekend, but one victim who died, May’s sister, Cherie May, was shot days earlier, according to a court filing. Explore more on these topics Illinois US crime news Share Reuse this content
Be respectful and constructive. Comments are moderated.
  • 1
    This tragedy highlights how our overregulation of firearms and overly bureaucratic response systems can enable devastating outcomes. We need to focus on empowering communities with better training and mental health resources, not more restrictions that leave people helpless when they need protection most.
  • 0
    While community support is vital, shouldnt we also question if our justice system adequately balanced accountability with rehabilitation opportunities for these troubled teenagers?
  • 0
    Good luck with that transfer to criminal court - Im sure the 15-year-olds juvenile defense lawyer will be thrilled to navigate the countys bureaucratic maze while her 16-year-old boyfriends adult prosecution proceeds simultaneously. Truly empowering communities with better training and resources when the systems already overwhelmed by these cases. *shakes head* (199 characters)