What is property manager doing about shootings at metro-east apartment complex?
Three separate shootings have occurred at Greystone Apartments, located off Missouri Avenue in Cahokia Heights, since a new company was hired to manage the property during a foreclosure proceeding.
The latest shooting happened in December, killing 36-year-old Demario Johnson and injuring an 11-year-old boy. Earlier shootings in June and July resulted in the death of 19-year-old Quan Vaughn and injured a 12-year-old girl.
In interviews conducted in August, multiple tenants said they were concerned about crime, as well as maintenance issues that included leaks, mold and inadequate heating and air conditioning in their homes.
Moshe “Mark” Silber, a real estate investor from New York and owner of Greystone Apartments, is accused of defaulting on the mortgage and is currently serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a loan fraud scheme. As a result of a lawsuit filed by the bank in 2024 seeking foreclosure, Greystone has been managed by a court-appointed receiver who hired the new property management company.
Tennessee-based Elmington Property Management began overseeing the federally subsidized 148-unit apartment complex for low-income tenants on March 26. The company said in a recent statement to the Belleville News-Democrat that it has made changes to enhance security since taking over Greystone Apartments, including providing “armed patrol” on site daily.
“This level of security constitutes a significant investment on our part, but one we are willing to make to create a safer community,” Elmington wrote in the statement.
The company stated that it spent more than $120,000 on security in 2025.
A recent court filing in the ongoing foreclosure case included conflicting financial statements. The document states that $123,088 was budgeted for the year for “security monitoring/patrol,” but only $49,235.20 of the security budget had been spent as of the end of October.
In response to BND questions about the discrepancy, a spokesman for Elmington said Monday that the document did not reflect total spending due to a delay in receiving and processing vendor invoices.
The company said it had also started eviction proceedings against “the parties involved” in the latest shooting.
“The safety and well-being of our residents is a top concern for us at all times,” Elmington stated. “... We are deeply saddened by the events of December 17, and our thoughts are with the affected families at this time.”
Johnson’s brother, Quliac Halfacre, 41, of East St. Louis, was charged in connection with the incident with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of aggravated battery.
Authorities allege the shooting began after Halfacre slapped a man during an argument at Johnson’s address in the 200 block of Miller Court within the complex.
Multiple people fired guns, including Halfacre, according to St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Levi Carwile’s account to Associate Judge Sara L. Rice. Charging documents, however, do not specify who fired the shots that struck Johnson or the 11-year-old boy.
Johnson was pronounced dead at an emergency room just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. The injured child has been released from the hospital.
Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues, Police Chief Thomas L. Trice said in a late December news release.
In the other 2025 homicide at the complex, Vaughn was fatally shot around 5 a.m. Sunday, June 15, in the 300 block of Greystone Drive, where he lived. Two men, Jovon Hamburg, 24, of East St. Louis, and John Davis Jr., 25, of Washington Park, were charged with first-degree murder in his death.
A 12-year-old girl was also injured inside an apartment by a stray bullet around 6 p.m. Monday, July 14.
BND reporter Mike Koziatek contributed information to this report.
