Two more confirmed dead as a result of a violent December morning in East St. Louis
Two more have been confirmed dead from injuries they sustained during a violent morning of shootings, robbery and murder in East St. Louis on Dec. 23.
Marcelene Braggs, 60, of Alton, and Curtisha Warren, 23, died at area hospitals, law enforcement and medical examiner’s office officials confirmed this week.
Their deaths bring the number of people killed two days before Christmas to three in East St. Louis and runs the city’s confirmed homicide total for 2019 to 36. A fourth person, Roneka Fair, also known as Roneka Brown, of East St. Louis, was treated and released after a lengthy stay in the hospital.
Howard Doolin has been held at the St. Clair County Jail since he was charged last Friday in the armed assaults. The 35-year-old Madison man faces charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery with discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm while on parole and for being a “armed habitual criminal.”
According to court records, Doolin’s record in St. Clair County already includes convictions for misdemeanor drug, traffic and parole violations as well as petty theft. He also had previous felony convictions in Illinois and Missouri, according to Illinois State Police.
State Police announced Friday that the first-degree murder charges were filed in connection with the death of James E. Shafer, 40, of Cahokia. They say Shafer was shot in the leg near 25th and Louisiana and later died at St. Louis University Hospital. East St. Louis Police Sgt. Cantrell Patterson said Shafer was shot at about 4:45 a.m.
Just minutes earlier, at 3:56 a.m., East St. Louis Police received a report of a vehicle crash at 18th Street and St. Clair Avenue. Upon arrival to the scene, an officer found Warren’s body outside the vehicle on the roadway with an apparent gunshot wound in the leg. Braggs was still inside the car with bullet wounds to her abdomen. Their conditions had not previously been made available.
Tara Rick, administrator with the St. Louis Medical Examiner’s office, confirmed Warren’s death Tuesday. Braggs was later pronounced dead at Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Jerri Hochmuth also confirmed.
Patterson said Fair was shot at 25th and State streets after she was approached by two men who demanded money, Patterson said. She was taken to St. Louis University Hospital and was released more than a week later.
