Two juveniles — aged 15 and 16 — were arrested in connection with the deaths of five members of the same family in East St. Louis, Illinois, according to reporting published by The Guardian on July 13, 2026.
Seven family members were shot. Five died. Two survived with injuries. Authorities characterized the attack as targeted.
East St. Louis, a city of roughly 18,000 across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, has recorded some of the highest per-capita violent crime rates in the state for more than a decade. The St. Clair County State's Attorney's office had not publicly confirmed charges or a court date for either suspect as of the time of publication.
The victims' names had not been publicly released. The relationship between the suspects and the family had not been disclosed in records available at publication time.
Both suspects are juveniles. Under Illinois law, charges and identifying information for minors are typically shielded from public record unless a court orders adult prosecution.
The question of whether either will be tried as an adult had not been answered in any filing or statement of record available at publication.