The Major Case Squad is investigating after two teenagers were shot early Saturday on Saint William Drive.
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, IL — A 17-year-old was killed and a 16-year-old was injured in an early-morning shooting Saturday in Cahokia Heights, prompting police to call in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis.
Cahokia Heights police responded at about 1:35 a.m. Sept. 5 to a report of shots fired in the 800 block of Saint William Drive. Officers found two teenagers who had been shot. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 16-year-old was taken to a St. Louis-area hospital for treatment.
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. later identified the teenager who died as Darvel D. Thomas, 17, of Cahokia Heights. Dye said Thomas was shot in the driveway of a residence on St. William Drive and died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at 2:59 a.m.
Authorities have not released the name of the injured teenager or provided an updated condition. Investigators also have not publicly identified a suspect or announced a possible motive for the shooting.
Cahokia Heights Police Chief Thomas Trice requested assistance from the Major Case Squad, a regional investigative unit that brings officers from multiple law enforcement agencies together for major homicide investigations. Fifteen members of the squad were assigned to the case after it was activated Saturday.
Capt. Tim Lawrence of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department was named deputy commander of the investigation. The Major Case Squad established its command post as investigators worked to determine what happened before the gunfire and identify anyone who may have been involved.
Authorities have released few details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Officials have not said whether the teenagers knew each other, whether anyone else was present when the shots were fired or what evidence investigators recovered from the scene.
The investigation remains active. The Major Case Squad has asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact its command post at 618-337-9500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477). No arrests had been publicly announced in the latest information reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.