Major Case Squad called in to investigate teenage shooting

In 1965, police departments in the Greater St. Louis Area formed the Major Case Squad to help with the investigations of serious crimes. The agency now comprises 119 separate police departments, including the Belleville Police Department. Any of the cooperating police departments can ask the Major Case Squad for assistance, and the requesting department will be assigned highly trained investigators and other experts to assist in the investigation. The MCS was recently called in to help the Cahokia Police Department investigate the shooting of three teenagers.

Three teenage boys were shot on a Cahokia street on the evening of July 1. One of the boys died from his wounds, and the other two are presently in critical condition. Police believe that the victims were acquainted with each other, but no details were released. An MCS investigation unit was activated soon after the shootings were discovered. The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit inspected the crime scene at 15 Westwood Drive, but they cleared the site after a few hours. Investigators are apparently searching for one or more suspects who may have fired the shots.

The MCS prides itself in its ability to clear more than 80% of its cases, and the suspects in this case will be pursued energetically by the 15 to 20 investigators that are usually assigned to a new case. The MCS for this case has not yet commented on whether it has any potential suspects or on its potential avenues for investigations.

Anyone who may be arrested in connection with this investigation will apparently face serious charges, including murder and assault. A suspect who is convicted will face a number of years of incarceration and perhaps a sizeable fine. An experienced criminal defense lawyer may be able to provide a helpful evaluation of the evidence, spot defects in the police investigative procedure and assist in either negotiating a favorable plea bargain or taking the case to trial.