Shocking Reasons Why St. Louis Teen plotted With Her BF to k!ll Her Family | May Family Tragedy

Shocking Reasons Why St. Louis Teen plotted With Her BF to k!ll Her Family | May Family Tragedy

In East St. Louis, Illinois, a family tragedy unfolded that investigators say was not a random act of violence, but a deliberate attack planned from within the family itself. Over the course of one week, five relatives were killed across three separate locations, leaving an entire community searching for answers. The victims included a 74-year-old grandmother, a mother, two young adults, and a daughter. The suspects were two teenagers, including a 15-year-old girl who allegedly helped plan an attack against her own family after a dispute over her boyfriend. What followed was a case filled with heartbreak, unanswered questions, and a father forced to grieve both his loved ones and the actions of his own child.

The events that unfolded in East St. Louis between July 5 and July 12, 2026, shocked residents not only because of the number of victims, but because of the relationships connecting everyone involved. According to investigators, this was not a robbery, not a random shooting, and not a confrontation between strangers. Authorities described it as a targeted attack against one family, allegedly carried out by two teenagers who were supposed to be part of that same family circle.

The victims were not just names in a police report.

They were people with histories, relationships, careers, children, and communities that knew them.

Patricia May was 74 years old. She was described as the family matriarch, a grandmother who spent decades building a life and supporting those around her. She worked at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for 25 years, from 1986 until 2011. Her life represented stability, commitment, and years of dedication to her family and community.

Sheree May, 49, was Patricia’s daughter. She was the first victim investigators connected to the broader series of killings. According to court documents, she was killed several days before the other attacks. Her death became the beginning of a chain of violence that investigators say continued across multiple locations.

Devon May, 24, was another victim. He was Sheree’s son and was still at the beginning of adulthood. His future was cut short in a crime that would eventually claim five lives.

Quentyn Thompson, 21, and Shaniah Thompson, 25, were siblings who were also killed during the attack. Their deaths added another devastating layer to the tragedy because the victims were not connected by coincidence. They were family.

Together, they represented multiple generations lost in a single week.

A grandmother.

A mother.

Children.

Siblings.

Five people whose lives were connected by family and love.

The first details of the investigation began emerging when authorities discovered that multiple shootings had occurred across East St. Louis.

The locations were different.

The victims were different.

But the connection was the same.

One family.

One alleged plan.

One devastating outcome.

The first known killing occurred around July 5, when Sheree May was murdered. At first, investigators did not publicly connect her death to the later shootings. But as evidence developed, authorities began seeing a larger picture.

The following attacks unfolded across three separate crime scenes.

One location was near North 39th Street and Summit Avenue.

Another was at the Samuel Gompers housing development.

The third was Jones Park.

The shootings happened in different places, but investigators said they were part of the same targeted attack.

At the Samuel Gompers housing development, residents were shaken by the violence.

Neighbors described the area as peaceful, a place where people knew one another and where such a tragedy was unexpected.

The violence disrupted the sense of safety many residents associated with their community.

At Jones Park, additional victims were attacked. Authorities said three people were shot there, with one person killed and two others surviving with serious injuries.

By the time investigators completed the initial picture, the scale of the crime became clear.

Seven family members had been targeted.

Five were dead.

Two survived.

The question that immediately followed was why.

What could lead two teenagers to allegedly plan an attack against their own relatives?

According to statements from family members and information released during the investigation, the alleged motive began with a disagreement involving the 15-year-old suspect and her boyfriend.

Investigators said the teenager was upset because her boyfriend, Giameir Davis, had been removed from his own home and she wanted him to live with her family.

Her family refused.

That decision, according to authorities, became the beginning of a deadly plan.

Police allege that the teenager and Davis discussed the situation, planned the attacks, and then carried them out together.

The idea that a disagreement over living arrangements could escalate into the deaths of five family members became one of the most disturbing aspects of the case.

However, investigators and legal experts have emphasized that understanding a possible motive does not mean excusing the alleged actions.

A motive explains what investigators believe happened.

It does not justify the result.

The case also raised difficult questions about teenage decision-making, accountability, and criminal responsibility.

The 15-year-old suspect was below the age threshold for automatic adult prosecution under Illinois law.

Her identity was not publicly released because of juvenile protections.

Prosecutors filed first-degree murder allegations in juvenile court and requested that her case be transferred to adult court.

Giameir Davis, however, was 16 years old and was automatically charged as an adult under Illinois law because first-degree murder cases involving defendants 16 or older fall outside juvenile jurisdiction.

The charges against Davis were extensive.

He faced five counts of first-degree murder.

Two counts of attempted murder.

Two counts of aggravated battery.

One count of dismembering a human body.

One count of aggravated vehicular hijacking.

One count of unlawful use of a stolen firearm.

In total, 12 criminal charges were filed against him.

The case became even more shocking when charging documents revealed additional allegations involving Patricia May.

According to prosecutors, Davis allegedly mutilated Patricia May’s body after her death, leading to the dismemberment charge.

The detail intensified the reaction from the East St. Louis community.

Residents struggled to understand how such violence could occur, especially involving an elderly woman who was described as a beloved family member.

Community leaders expressed disbelief.

Many people questioned what could lead someone to commit such an act.

But investigators have repeatedly warned against speculation.

The full explanation of motive and the mental state of those involved will be examined through the legal process.

The most painful part of the case may be the story of Marcus May.

Marcus was the father of the 15-year-old suspect.

He was also a family member of many of the victims.

He lost his mother, Patricia May.

He lost his sister, Sheree May.

He lost his nephew, Devon May.

He lost his stepchildren, Quentyn and Shaniah Thompson.

Five people he loved were gone.

And according to investigators, the person responsible was his own daughter.

Marcus’s situation represents one of the most emotionally complicated parts of the case.

He was not only mourning victims.

He was also forced to confront allegations involving his own child.

In interviews, Marcus said his daughter made a choice, and because of what happened, he could not show sympathy for her actions.

His words reflected the impossible position he found himself in.

A father grieving his child’s alleged actions while mourning the family members lost because of them.

It is a type of pain few people could imagine.

He was connected to both sides of the tragedy.

He was a victim of the violence, but he was also the parent of someone accused of causing it.

The case demonstrates that crime does not only destroy the direct victims.

It affects entire families.

It creates emotional damage that extends across generations.

The investigation moved quickly after authorities identified the suspects.

Police eventually located the two teenagers at Frank Holten State Park outside East St. Louis.

They were found together in a stolen vehicle.

The arrests provided authorities with an opportunity to begin answering questions that had haunted the community.

Investigators continued collecting evidence, including digital information, forensic material, and witness statements.

Authorities said technology and community cooperation played important roles in solving the case.

Police also emphasized that the investigation was ongoing and additional developments could still occur.

The Illinois State Police described the case as one of the most disturbing examples of targeted violence the region had experienced.

Director Brendan Kelly stated that the crime was horrific and evil, but that it would not break the community.

That message became important for East St. Louis residents.

The city has faced significant challenges over the years, including economic struggles and concerns about violence.

But community members emphasized that the actions of individuals should not define everyone who lives there.

Residents gathered to support the victims’ family and remember those who were lost.

They created memorials.

They shared condolences.

They searched for ways to support survivors.

The two surviving victims remained hospitalized with serious injuries.

Their recovery became another part of the tragedy.

They carried the physical and emotional consequences of what happened.

As the legal process moves forward, several major questions remain.

Why did the disagreement escalate so far?

What influenced the teenagers’ decisions?

Could anyone have recognized warning signs earlier?

These are questions that families, investigators, psychologists, and communities often struggle with after extreme acts of violence.

There are no simple answers.

The court system will focus on evidence.

Psychologists may examine behavior and development.

Families will continue searching for meaning.

But some questions may never receive a satisfying explanation.

What remains certain is the loss.

Patricia May’s decades of life and service.

Sheree May’s role as a mother and family member.

Devon May’s future that ended too soon.

Quentyn Thompson’s young life.

Shaniah Thompson’s dreams and relationships.

Five people who deserved more time.

Five people whose names should not be forgotten.

The East St. Louis case is not only a story about crime.

It is a story about the devastating consequences of violence within families.

It is about a community trying to understand something almost impossible to comprehend.

It is about a father standing between grief and disbelief.

It is about victims whose lives were larger than the tragedy that ended them.

As the case continues through the courts, the search for justice remains ongoing.

The arrests may have answered who authorities believe was responsible.

But healing will take much longer.

For the May and Thompson families, the damage cannot be measured only in court documents or criminal charges.

It is measured in empty chairs.

Missed birthdays.

Lost memories.

And the absence of five people who should still be here today.