EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — A shooting in southern Illinois left at least six people wounded, authorities said, and the suspects reportedly crashed their getaway vehicle into a passenger train before being captured hours later.
The wounded were taken to area hospitals following the Thursday afternoon shooting in East St. Louis, according to Illinois State Police. Details on their conditions weren’t released.
Stephen Pierce said he was waiting for a bus with his wife and children when he heard “boom, boom, boom.” He said his wife was wounded in the arm.
“Our backs were turned and the next thing you know they just started shooting and it came at the back of my head and I didn’t know what to do but to get up and run,” Pierce told KMOV-TV.
Three suspects were taken into custody about 2:30 a.m. Friday in a basement, KMOV and KSDK-TV reported. They had reportedly tried to out-run a MetroLink train Thursday at a nearby crossing and their vehicle was struck, and then they continued to flee.
The Associated Press left a message Friday seeking updated information from state police. Authorities didn’t immediately indicate whether a motive for the shooting was known.
East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry earlier had said that “multiple people” were shot outside the East Side Meat Market. East St. Louis is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
Following the shooting, there were MetroLink delays and authorities urged people to stay away from the area. Passengers were being transported by bus shuttles around the two affected stations, said Patti Beck, a communications official with Bi-State Development, which operates MetroLink.
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