Illinois Quick Hits: Five dead, two hurt in East St. Louis shooting

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois State Police say two teens have been arrested in connection with a targeted mass shooting that left five members of a family dead and two others seriously injured in East St. Louis.

ISP said a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were taken into custody on Sunday after the shootings occurred at multiple locations.

The deceased victims were identified as Cherie L. May, 49, Devin D. May, 24, Patricia A. May, 74, Quentin L. Thompson, 21, and Shania W. Thompson, 25.

FORMER CORRECTIONS WORKER PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING STATE TAXPAYERS

A former Illinois Department of Corrections worker has pleaded guilty to defrauding the state out of nearly $125,000 by falsely modifying her husband’s timesheets.

Maggi R. Tudor, 34, began working as an account technician at Pinckneyville Correctional Center in 2022 while her husband was employed at a satellite facility, Murphysboro Life Skills Reentry Center.

Prosecutors said Maggi Tudor manipulated her husband’s timesheets to make it look like he worked overtime and holiday hours he did not work. Sentencing is set for Nov. 9 in Benton.

MAN SENTENCED IN COVID FRAUD CASE

A man has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution after he admitted to submitting and teaching others how to submit false Covid relief loan applications on behalf of themselves and others who paid kickbacks to him and his co-schemers.

Prosecutors said James Townsend schemed to obtain more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and received kickbacks from loan applicants.

Codefendant Sarah Stokes, 37 of Crestwood was sentenced in November 2025 to 18 months in prison. Codefendant Amanda Heller, 40, of Crestwood is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28, 2026.

FR. PFLEGER OF CHICAGO ASKED TO STEP ASIDE DUE TO ALLEGATION

Archbishop of Chicago Blase Cupich says he has asked, Fr. Michael Pfleger, the senior pastor of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, to step aside due to alleged sexual abuse of a minor that allegedly happened more than 30 years ago.

Pfleger said in a statement on the church website that the accusation by a woman who said she went to school at St. Sabina “is an absolute lie.”

The state of Illinois budget for fiscal year 2027 includes a $300,00 line item for St. Sabina.