‘All I wanna know is why:’ East St. Louis family shocked by targeted shootings
An East St. Louis family is shocked and confused after a teenager and her boyfriend were arrested in a series of shootings targeting her mother, two siblings and other family members Sunday, according to a relative and a family friend.
Police said seven people were shot at three locations: the Samuel Gompers Homes, Jones Park and the area of 39th Street. Five of them died, and two others remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
Authorities have said only that two suspects, a 15-year-old and 16-year-old, are in custody and that one of them is related to the victims. No charges have been filed as of Monday afternoon and the juveniles have not been identified by law enforcement.
The deceased victims are:
- Patricia A. May, 74
- Cherie L. May, 49
- Shania W. Thompson, 25
- Devin D. May, 24
- Quentin L. Thompson, 21
Lamarian Smiley, a relative of the Thompsons, identified the injured family members as Tiffany Thompson and Santosha Scott. Scott is Smiley’s wife and Tiffany Thompson’s niece.
One of the suspects is Tiffany Thompson’s daughter, Smiley said. Shania and Quentin are Tiffany Thompson’s other children and the suspect’s siblings, according to Smiley.
He said the Mays, all shot at the Gompers Homes, also are related to the Thompsons on the suspect’s father’s side.
At a Sunday news conference, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly declined to discuss a possible motive. By phone Monday, Smiley said it’s the biggest question going through his mind in the aftermath.
“All I wanna know is why,” he said. “I don’t get to wake up and see any of my cousins anymore. It just don’t make no sense.”
Young victims remembered as joyful
Smiley said he was in a car with Scott and Tiffany and Quentin Thompson before they were shot at Jones Park. He said they had just dropped him off at work.
His wife has since told him that the suspects opened fire from the back seat.
Scott, shot four times, had two broken ribs and internal bleeding from a bullet nicking her lungs, according to Smiley. He said Tiffany Thompson was shot in the face.
Smiley said both women are recovering physically but still processing what happened.
“I talked to my auntie this morning,” he said of Tiffany Thompson. “She’s not OK. She lost all of her children.”
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said Shania Thompson was shot at 39th Street and Summit Avenue.
Smiley said Quentin and Shania Thompson brought joy and “a lot of humor” to gatherings, and the family had a shared love of anime.
He said Shania was always cracking jokes and recalled a recent happy memory when Quentin brought a memorable firework to their Fourth of July celebration. It was dubbed “the finale.”
“It lit up the whole street. It looked like it was daylight outside,” Smiley said. “He was very, very happy.”
Fundraiser started for the family
Family friend Stephanie Moore said she has been helping how she can: opening her door to family members as they grieve and starting a GoFundMe account to raise money for their immediate needs, including funeral services, medical expenses, counseling and lost wages.
“No family should have to worry about finances while grieving the loss of loved ones or caring for those who were injured,” the GoFundMe description states.
Moore said she has been friends with one of Tiffany Thompson’s nephews for about 20 years, and her teenage daughter is friends with Scott’s daughter.
“Everybody’s in shock,” Moore said. “(The shootings) traumatized not only a family but a community.”
Moore has been trying to figure out how to talk to her daughter about it. Classmates have come by to talk and comfort each other. Moore said she’s advising the teenagers to ask an adult for help when they feel intense emotions before making drastic decisions.
“When your emotions get to a point where you don’t know how to act, you have to find someone to talk to,” she said.
This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
