A family member said relatives opposed the teenagers’ relationship, but authorities have not announced an official motive.
ST. LOUIS, IL — Two teenagers have been charged in a series of targeted attacks that killed five members of one East St. Louis family and wounded two others, authorities said.
A 16-year-old boy, Ja’ymeir Davis, is being prosecuted as an adult on 12 charges, including five counts of first-degree murder. A 15-year-old girl, whose name has not been released because she is a minor, faces a juvenile case that prosecutors may seek to transfer to adult criminal court. All seven people who were shot were related to the girl, according to Illinois State Police.
The victims were identified as Patricia A. May, 74; Cherie L. May, 49; Shania W. Thompson, 25; Devin D. May, 24; and Quentin L. Thompson, 21. Two other relatives survived the attacks and were hospitalized with serious injuries. Police described the violence as a targeted mass shooting carried out at three locations in the city, which sits across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
Authorities have not released an official motive, and court documents reviewed by The Associated Press did not identify one. Relatives, however, told local news organizations that the teenagers had been in a relationship opposed by members of the girl’s family. Lamarion Smiley, a relative of the girl and the victims, said the teens had run away together several times before the shootings.
Smiley said family members repeatedly found the girl and brought her home. He alleged that the teenagers wanted to attack relatives who objected to their relationship. The family’s account has not been established in court, and investigators have not publicly confirmed that the dispute was the reason for the killings.
Marcus May, the girl’s father, told local news media that his daughter had been angry with family members and had plotted the violence with Davis, whom he identified as her boyfriend. May said those killed included his mother, a sister, two stepchildren and a nephew. His statements describe the family’s understanding of the case, not a motive formally determined by police or prosecutors.
The investigation began after human remains were discovered Sunday at a residence in East St. Louis, police said. The remains were identified as those of Cherie May. Investigators then located four other people who had been killed and two who had been wounded at other sites, including Jones Park and an area near 39th and Summit streets.
Authorities said most of the violence happened over the weekend, though a court filing indicated that Cherie May had been shot several days earlier. Three victims were found at the Samuel Gompers Homes public housing complex, according to local reports. Police have released few details about the order of the attacks or how the suspects allegedly traveled between the locations.
State troopers located the teenagers in a vehicle Sunday and arrested them at Frank Holten State Park. Police said there was no continuing threat to the public. Investigators have not fully explained how the teenagers allegedly obtained the firearm, though relatives said a gun had been stolen from the girl’s mother before the attacks.
Davis also faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking, one count of dismembering a human body and one count involving the unlawful use of a stolen firearm. Prosecutors allege that Patricia May’s thumb was severed. Further details were not necessary to describe the charge.
Davis appeared in court and was ordered to remain in custody. The public defender’s office was appointed to represent him, and no plea was immediately reported. The 15-year-old girl’s case began in juvenile court, where records and proceedings are generally more restricted. Prosecutors said they expected to seek her transfer to adult court.
The killings left relatives preparing multiple funerals while the two wounded family members remained hospitalized. The Illinois State Police and the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office are continuing the investigation, and the allegations against both teenagers must be proven in court.
Author note: Last updated July 15, 2026.