Double stabbing in East St. Louis leaves one man dead

Police are investigating a double stabbing in East St. Louis that left one man dead and another injured early Wednesday morning.

Details about what led to the stabbing remain unclear, authorities said. The incident is still under investigation.

Cortez Slack, chief of public safety for the East St. Louis Housing Authority, said public safety officers were notified of the incident shortly after 3 a.m.

“We got a call about a possible stabbing victim at 1400 Missouri,” Slack said. “When officers arrived, they found a male victim on the ground across the street from the vacant Orr Weathers high-rise building. We also received notification that another person was actually inside the building.”

The case is being investigated jointly by the East St. Louis Police Department and Illinois State Police.

Officers located another man on an upper level of the Orr Weathers building, in the stairwell. Public safety officers attempted life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful, Slack said.

The man found across the street from the building was taken to the hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

The 11-story Orr Weathers building has been vacant for about a year.

Slack said residents in the area are vigilant and routinely call public safety officers when they notice anything out of the ordinary.