Two teens charged with murdering five relatives in Illinois after homeschooling dispute
The minor's father assured that the conflict began after the parents decided to educate her at home due to behavioral problems at school.
A 15-year-old girl and her boyfriend, Ja'ymier Davis, 16, were charged with murdering five of the girl's relatives in a "targeted mass shooting" on Sunday in East St. Louis, Illinois, according to St. Clair County prosecutors.
The minor, whose case is initially being heard in juvenile court, and Davis also face charges of seriously injuring two other family members in a series of attacks that occurred in three different parts of the city.
The fatal victims were identified by the teenager's father, Marcus May, as his stepsons Quentin Thompson, 21, and Shania Thompson, 25; his nephew Devin May, 24; his sister Cherie May, 49; and his mother Patricia May, 74.
“I lost my entire family in one fell swoop,” May told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The conflict over home education
According to the father, his relationship with his daughter deteriorated after he and the mother decided to take her out of school and homeschool her due to disciplinary issues.
May claimed that the teenager had run away from home on previous occasions and had even stolen her mother's debit card.
According to her story, at the beginning of last week the young woman fled again after allegedly taking the firearm from her mother, who reported both the disappearance of the minor and the theft of the weapon.
The father also claimed that his daughter had talked about a plan to commit a mass shooting, but that no one took the threat seriously.
Three crime scenes in East St. Louis
Authorities reported that the attacks occurred in three different locations in East St. Louis.
May explained that her stepdaughter Shania's body was found inside a car behind an abandoned house near her home, while Quentin was found in the city's Jones Park.
Two other bodies appeared in a housing complex located several kilometers away, according to the police.
Additionally, two family members were found with serious gunshot wounds in Jones Park.
Cherie May's body was also located on Sunday, although police indicated she had been murdered days earlier.
Murder and dismemberment charges
A 12-count indictment filed by the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office states that Davis faces: five counts of murder, one count of dismemberment of a human body, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated carjacking with violence, one count of unlawful use of a stolen firearm.
The prosecution also alleges that Davis dismembered Patricia May's body by cutting off her thumb.
The teen remains in custody at the St. Clair County Jail and his next court date has not yet been announced.
The two suspects were taken into custody after Illinois State Police troopers used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle they were traveling in near Frank Holten State Park.
The Prosecutor's Office reported that the teenager's case will begin in the juvenile system before a possible transfer to the county criminal court is determined.