Woman hurt in metro-east shooting at ‘illegally occupied’ former grocery store
A post-Christmas night shooting left one woman injured early Friday at an “illegally occupied” former grocery store in Cahokia Heights, police said.
The woman was taken to a St. Louis hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Chief Thomas L. Trice said.
No arrests have been announced as the shooting remains under investigation. Police were called about the gunfire at about 1:30 a.m.
Trice said officers also are investigating the operators of the event space located in a former Tom Boy grocery store in the 4700 block of Bond Avenue.
Charges may be filed regarding the unlicensed site, Trice said.
“It was illegally occupied,” Trice said. “They do not have a permit or any kind of license to hold any events there like that or sell alcohol.”
Trice described the event as a “word of mouth gathering at an illegal location.”
The number of people who were in the building was “over capacity” in relation to fire safety code, Trice said.
In the shooting investigation, Cahokia Heights officers received assistance from Illinois State Police as well as Sauget and Fairmont City police officers.
Four homicides have been reported in Cahokia Heights this month, including a teenager who died Tuesday.
Overall there have been nine homicides during the year, according to reports in the Belleville News-Democrat. In 2024, there were 13 homicides reported in the city.
