Two people were shot late Monday in the 2200 block of St. Clair Avenue in East St. Louis.

East St. Louis Police Chief Michael Floore said the two unidentified victims are in stable condition at a local hospital. He said police believe there were two separate areas where the shootings occurred. He said police believe the shooting, which left a barrage of bullet casings in the 2200 block of St. Clair Avenue, started at 38th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Police are trying to locate the shooter and piece together what happened.

He said the shooting occurred at midnight. The victims appear to be between ages 22 and 23.

"We obtained a search warrant this afternoon to search a house in the 2200 block of Walnut. And, we'll see where that leads us," Floore said.

In the middle of the afternoon, police agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and East St. Louis investigators went into a home at 2208 St. Clair Ave. and recovered numerous assault weapons and other evidence. For at least two hours investigators and special agents worked inside the home.

East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks, reacting to the many illegal weapons brought out of the residence said," It's alarming for that many guns to be found in one location. It looks like somebody came to do war. Why does anybody need that many assault style weapons in one location or in the city of East St. Louis?" Parks asked.

Parks said he's been saying all along that "the roots of violence is guns being in the wrong hands at the wrong time. Somebody brought those weapons here. Where did they get them from?" Parks asked.

Parks said he was happy to see the ATF working alongside East St. Louis police to get the illegal weapons out of East St. Louis and disposed of properly.

"If there is anything positive to come out of this, it is we know that there was a storage house for those guns in East St. Louis," Parks said.

Police officials said that at least 60 bullet casings were on the ground in front of 2208 St. Clair Ave.

And, they are looking for help from the public. The East St. Louis Police Department's number is 482-6700, and Crime Stoppers phone number is 1-866-371-8477 (this is an anonymous tip line that pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.