Cahokia Heights shooting deaths were related and targeted, police said

The shooting deaths of two people over the weekend in Cahokia Heights are believed to be related and targeted, a leader with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said Monday.

“We believe this was a targeted incident,” said Belleville Police Capt. Robert Thomason who is the deputy commander for the Major Case Squad on this investigation.

Thomason, who held a news conference at the Cahokia Heights Police Department Monday, said a suspect has not been identified and he asked for the public’s assistance in the investigation.

The Major Case Squad was called to assist in the investigation of a shooting in the 3900 block of Walnut Street, where Cahokia Heights police officers found a 67-year-old man with apparent gunshot wounds in a vehicle on Friday night.

The victim, identified Sunday by the St. Clair County coroner’s office as Bruce A. Mason, of Maryville, was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

In the course of investigating the homicide, agents executed a search warrant on Saturday at a nearby home where they found Laniya Joyce White, 44, who had died from gunshot wounds, according to the Major Case Squad.

Thomason said Mason and White were “acquaintances.”

“Mr. Mason was known to park his vehicle in the driveway of Ms. White’s residence,” Thomason said.

Thomason declined to release other details about why investigators believe the two fatal shootings were not random attacks. He also declined to release the type vehicle Mason was found in but said Mason was “known to operate that vehicle.”

“We’re still actively searching for anybody with information on this double homicide,” Thomason said.

Thomason asked members of the public to call investigators even if saw or heard anything that could help solve the case.

“If they had any contact with either of our victims on the 12th leading up to this incident, we ask they also contact us even if it seems trivial.”

Anyone who may have information related to the double homicide is asked to call police at 618-337-9507 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

The deaths of Mason and White are the sixth and seventh homicides in Cahokia Heights this year according to reports in the Belleville News-Democrat.

This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 3:39 PM.