Four arrested after shooting near metro-east school that aims to reduce violence
Four teenagers were arrested by East St. Louis police after gunshots were fired in the area of a school at 17th Street and Summit Avenue Wednesday afternoon.
No one was injured in the shooting outside the Teens Against Killing Everywhere, or the TAKE Center, which strives to provide job training for youths “so they don’t have to resort to violence,” according to a school official.
East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry said four “males fired several shots in the area of 17th and Summit Avenue in the vicinity of the school in the area. The police department received a call about the shooting around 12:15 p.m.”
Responding officers saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspects’ vehicle in the 1700 block of Gaty Avenue.
The suspects’ vehicle hit a police squad car and the four males inside of it fled on foot but were arrested, Perry said.
When officers checked the vehicle, they located three assault rifles and one Glock handgun with an extended magazine, Perry said. He said two of the weapons had “switches,” which allow semiautomatic guns to be fired as automatic weapons.
The four suspects were taken to the East St. Louis Police Department without any further incident, Perry said. Charges have not yet been announced.
Police officers said the suspects are about 17 or 18 years old .
Jonathan Marchbanks, director of operations at Teens Against Killing Everywhere, or the TAKE Center, was in the lobby assisting people to sign up for a summer youth employment program when the shooting occurred.
“As I was in the lobby, I noticed a gray car pull up,” he said. “A young man wearing a mask was hanging out of the car. I watched it all unfold. The young man pulled out a gun. Everyone was running. Shots were fired. I started to get the people who were outside of the building on the inside, making sure they all were safe. Simultaneously, I called the police. Then I immediately started our active shooter procedure. In about a minute they had shot and were headed toward College Avenue. There were four people in the car.”
“There were seven or eight 17- to 18-year-olds out front. There were several young children in the front as well. I am grateful, that nobody was hurt,” Marchbanks said.
He said he is tired of the shootings and spoke of the work his organization is doing in East St. Louis.
“We pride ourselves in providing young people with opportunities to make their lives better. Unfortunately, a lot of young people are taking the lives of their fellow young people. A lot of our work is centered around making sure young people have jobs so they don’t have to resort to violence. While I am not afraid of what happens in our city, I am saddened and disheartened at what happened today.”
Marchanks said he is grateful for the quick response from the East St. Louis Police Department and Illinois State Police.
Vickie Kimmel, who is the executive director of the TAKE Center, was in the hallway of the building at 1798 Summit Ave. and heard one shot.
“I ran to the door to holler to get people inside. Two children who appeared to be under 6 years old were out there. One was with her brother. The other one was with a parent. There were girls hiding behind my truck. Everybody went into the hallway and into a classroom away from the glass,” Kimmel said.
“We called the police and told them they were shooting at our school,” she said. “We gave them a description of the car. We took the pictures off our cameras and they were to locate them two blocks away. I have been there 35 years and never had an incident like this. It’s always been a safe place where people felt comfortable coming. We want to retain that.”
Kimmel hopes the shooters are locked up forever because shootings are out of control in this country.
Kimmel said she is grateful for the relationship the school has always had with the East St. Louis Police Department and that four suspects were arrested and four guns were taken off the streets.
“I have been a part of burying over 200 young people. Today is a very, very sad day. I am just grateful that no one was actually hit,” Kimmel said.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 9:50 PM.
