Illinois State Police arrested two teenagers on Sunday after a shooting killed five members of one family and wounded two others in East St. Louis. Police Director Brendan Kelly announced the arrests at a news conference. The suspects were found at Holten State Park, near the city The Guardian.

The five people killed were: Cherie L. May, 49; Devin D. May, 24; Patricia A. May, 74; Quentin L. Thompson, 21; and Shania W. Thompson, 25 The Guardian. Two people were hurt and taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Police said no other people in the area were hit by gunfire.

What stands out: the shooting happened at three different locations, not in one place. This tells investigators the attack targeted this specific family, rather than occurring randomly KSDK.

At least one of the arrested teenagers is related to at least one of the people killed, Kelly said. Neither suspect has been formally charged yet. Police are working with the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office to prepare charges Audacy/WBBM. In Illinois, this is the normal process: someone is arrested first, then lawyers and police build the case, then charges are filed officially. This can take hours or days.

The fact that the shooting happened at three different places matters legally. If someone shoots people in one house, it is easier to call it one crime. If someone moves between three locations to shoot, it suggests they planned it and chose their targets. That changes what charges prosecutors can file. The prosecutors in St. Clair County will need to show not just who did the shooting, but how the victims and suspects were connected — especially since at least one suspect is related to a victim.

Shootings within one family that kill this many people are fairly rare. Most shootings in America either happen between people living together or involve people with no family ties at all. Five deaths spread across one family in three locations looks more like a dispute or revenge killing than a sudden, unplanned act. Police have not said what caused the violence.

News organizations reported on the shooting quickly. Reuters and the New York Times both published stories the day it happened New York Times. St. Louis Public Radio reported the same facts on July 12 and asked people with information to call Illinois State Police at 618-571-4124 St. Louis Public Radio.

One thing to know: a video of Kelly's news conference was posted on Facebook Live but is no longer there. It was either deleted or made private. That means people reading about this case have to rely on what news outlets reported, not on watching the original video themselves.

What happens next will be decided in St. Clair County. Because both suspects are teenagers, prosecutors must decide whether to charge them as adults. Illinois law lets prosecutors make that choice for serious crimes. The family connection between at least one suspect and one victim will affect bail hearings and how a judge or jury later thinks about why this happened. Right now, all anyone knows for certain is what Director Kelly said: five family members dead, two hurt, two teenagers arrested.