Family mourns loss of 25-year-old gunned down in Centreville

Hearts are heavy in the family of a man who was shot and killed in Centreville on March 9.

DeAngelo Oliver, 25, of Centreville, was shot during some type of altercation. Two suspects, a 21-year-old and a 17-year-old, have been charged with murder.

Oliver leaves behind three sons and a daughter.

GUEST BOOK: DeAngelo Oliver

His sister, Jacquette Smith, spoke about the void that is left in their family. While the family is grieving, Smith said it helps a lot that the police made an arrest and charged the suspects so quickly.

“We would like to thank all of the police who worked on this case. It means so much to our family that the people who are responsible were arrested and charged so quickly. It helps the family to grieve,” Smith said.

Centreville Police along with Illinois State Police investigated the case, which led to the arrest of the two East st. Louis men who are now charged with Oliver’s murder.

Sammie Swift Jr., 21, was charged by the St. Clair County States Attorney’s Office with one count of first-degree murder. A second suspect, Tommie L. Pirtle, 17, was also charged as an adult with one count of first-degree murder.

The shooting happened at 4763 Piggott Ave. in Centreville. The shooting scene was just outside Oliver’s residence.

Bail for the suspects was set at $750,000 apiece. Swift was being held at St. Clair County Jail and Pirtle is being held at the St. Clair County Juvenile Detention Center.

Smith said the family wants to thank the many friends and community members who came together Friday night to hold a candlelight vigil for Oliver.

“We want to thank his friends and the community for the donations they have given to the family and for setting up the vigil. We didn’t realize my brother knew so many people,” Smith said.

Oliver had three sisters. He was the third child born to his mother, Lorna Smith. His other two sisters are Nickea Downey and Tia Smith.

Jacquette Smith said the family is missing the silliness of Oliver’s personality.

“He loved his family, especially his four children. And all of us loved him. Our mother will miss the way he used to call her. I will miss him asking me if he can come to Chicago to visit me,” Smith said.

She said the family has a message for young people: “Put down those guns. Do something positive with your life. You have no right to settle any issue with a gun. People using these guns illegally are tearing families apart.”

Oliver’s family does not know the suspects or why they shot him, Smith said. Illinois State Police Sgt. Matt Weller said police believe there was some kind of altercation between Oliver and the suspects before he was shot. What led to the altercation is unknown, Wells said.

Smith said a memorial service for Oliver is Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church, 1527 N. 42nd St. in East St. Louis

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Family mourns loss of 25-year-old gunned down in Centreville."