Second man charged with double East St. Louis shooting that left one dead
A second man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a 22-year-old East St. Louis man in August.
Shavon L. Brownlee, 24, of East St. Louis, was charged Friday with fatally shooting Phillip Smith during an armed robbery Aug. 13 in East St. Louis, according to charging documents. He was also charged with the shooting of Teon L. Slaughter.
Smith was found dead in the driver’s seat of a red Chrysler on Aug. 13 with multiple gunshot wounds, with Slaughter bleeding in the passenger seat beside him. The men were found at the Norman E. Owens Housing Complex, outside Building L.
Brownlee faces two charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery while discharging a firearm. His co-defendant, Devonte L. Lindsey, faces the same two charges.
Both men remained in custody at the St. Clair County Jail as of Sunday afternoon on $1 million bail.
Lindsey was previously convicted of retail theft in 2010, theft in 2015 and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2016. He was also found guilty of resisting a police officer, correctional employee or firefighter in 2017, for which he is still awaiting sentencing. Brownlee has no prior criminal history in St. Clair County.
Nickolette “Anna” Hall, Smith’s mother, said Smith graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School, then joined the military. He had just had his first child.
“Phillip was a trusting, loving, humble, devoted, good person who didn’t deserve to be murdered,” Hall said. “I know my son had so much more living to do ... Phillip had a bright future that was taken too soon. I’ll miss my ‘son’shine with every breath I take. Knowing someone is being held responsible for this will not bring my ‘son’shine back, but I know it will give my family a bit of closure.
“I had the pleasure of raising one of God’s true angels.”
Kara Berg: 618-239-2626, @karaberg95
This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Second man charged with double East St. Louis shooting that left one dead."