Belleville-area man faces murder charges in Cahokia Heights double homicide

A Belleville-area man was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of a man and woman in Cahokia Heights over the weekend, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis announced Wednesday night.

Shawn L. Williams, 54, was charged in the deaths of Bruce A. Mason, 67, of Maryville; and Laniya Joyce White, 44, of Cahokia Heights, authorities said.

Charging documents filed by the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office allege that each was shot in the head.

St. Clair County Associate Judge Sara L. Rice on Friday ordered Williams held in jail until trial.

Williams, whose address is listed in the first block of Signal Park Lane in the Signal Hill community near Belleville, was being held in the St. Clair County Jail on Wednesday night. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

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 Mason with apparent gunshot wounds in a vehicle Friday night. Mason was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Agents executed a search warrant Saturday at a nearby home, where they found White, who had died from gunshot wounds, according to the Major Case Squad.

The Major Case Squad’s news release Wednesday night did not have details of what prompted the double homicide, or the connection between Williams and the victims. Officials previously said they believed the shootings were related and that the victims were targeted.

Belleville Police Capt. Robert Thomason, who is the deputy commander for the Major Case Squad on this investigation, said in a news conference Monday that Mason and White were “acquaintances.”

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

A detention hearing has not been scheduled for Williams.

The Major Case Squad checked over 75 leads in the investigation.

This was at least the third time the Major Case Squad has been activated to investigate homicides in Cahokia Heights this year.

Earlier Wednesday, a 36-year-old man was fatally shot in an apartment complex in Cahokia Heights. His death was the eighth homicide in the city this year, according to reports in the Belleville News-Democrat.

This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 10:59 PM.