KSDK News published July 14, 2026: Survivor's husband says teenage couple posted 'hit list' prior to killing 5 family members. The husband of a survivor speaks as a teenage couple charged wit executing five family members and killing two others.
CBS Chicago published July 12, 2026: East St. Louis mass shooting leaves 5 family members dead, 2 others hurt. Illinois state police say the two suspected shooters are 15 and 16 years old and are in custody.
KSDK News published July 13, 2026: Family mourns 5 members slain in East St. Louis; teen relatives arrested. As loved ones mourn five relatives killed in an East St. Louis shooting, two teenage family members face possible charges.
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KSDK.com
written/reported by Melanie Johnson
Tuesday July 14, 2026
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Loved ones detail a violent killing spree across East St. Louis at the hands of their 15- year-old relative and her boyfriend.
On Tuesday, Illinois state prosecutors announced charges against 16-year-old, Ja’Ymier Davis and the arrest of his teen girlfriend in the murders of 5 of her family members. Two others were shot and are fighting for their lives.
"It’s all because y'all wanted to be together, so they wanted to eliminate everybody that had a problem with the situation,” Lamarion Smiley, a relative of the victims, told 5 On Your Side.
The teenager’s grandmother, 74-year-old Patricia May; aunt, 49-year-old Cherie May; and cousin, 20-year-old Devin May, were all shot and killed. The pair also accused of executing her own siblings, Quentin Thompson, 21, and Shania Thompson, 25.
Smiley’s wife, Santosha Scott, survived the shooting along with Tiffany Thompson, the teen girl’s mother. Scott was shot in the back and Thompson in the neck.
“There was a list on Instagram that her and the boyfriend made. So we were aware, we just didn't know when,” Smiley said.
Ja’ymier Davis, 16, has been charged as an adult with 12 felony counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and a shocking count of dismembering a human body. Prosecutors are also moving to transfer his 15-year-old girlfriend's case to adult court, where she faces first-degree murder charges.
St. Clair County prosecutors and grieving relatives say the teen couple systematically executed family members who tried to keep them apart.
“She ran away with this boy numerous times. Stayed in vacant houses with this boy, and every time we found her and brought her back home, we let her know, like, 'You're 15, you don't know what love truly is yet,'" Smiley said.
The deadly rampage spanned three separate locations in East St. Louis on Sunday, culminating in a final ambush at Jones Park.
Before the final shooting, family members had retrieved the runaway 15-year-old and Davis from a transit bus. Unbeknownst to the family, the teens had already allegedly murdered three relatives at homes on 39th and Summit and the Samuel Gompers housing complex.
“Her daughter took the keys from her (mother's) purse, unlocked the lockbox and took the firearm. The police were notified as soon as they found out that the firearm was taken,” Smiley said.
Charges have also been filed against the teens for the stolen gun.
According to Smiley, as his wife, Santasha Scott, went to park the SUV, the teens opened fire inside the vehicle.
"They took them to Jones Park and they fired off in the vehicle. Hitting my wife four times. Killing Quentin and Shania Thompson, and shooting my auntie in the face," Smiley recalled.
Smiley said the 15-year-old girl then stood over his wounded wife, attempting to pull the trigger again, but the gun was out of bullets.
“She walked over to her own mother, trying to kill her, and the boy said, ‘We're gonna let you live, we're gonna let y'all live today,” before taking the family’s car and driving off.
Aggravated vehicular hijacking among the 12 felony charges.
Under Illinois law, Davis was automatically charged as an adult because of his age and the severity of the charges. St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s spokesperson Chris Allen confirmed that a juvenile delinquency petition has been filed against the 15-year-old girl, and the state will aggressively petition the court to try her as an adult.
Meanwhile, state officials are stepping in to support the devastated family. 5 On Your Side has confirmed that several Illinois lawmakers are actively working to secure emergency state funding under the Crime Victims Compensation Act to fully cover the massive medical and funeral expenses.
As the community processes this tragedy, Smiley urged parents to stay highly vigilant.
"Pay attention to your children. Check these phones," Smiley said. "This probably could have been prevented had we known this sooner. Mental health is a serious thing."
The family has set up fundraisers to assist with funeral and medical costs:
