In the early morning hours of Friday, April 10, 2026, a shooting in East St. Louis, Illinois, left one man dead and another wounded. The deceased was identified as 29-year-old Davanta McCray of Belleville. The incident occurred just after 5 a.m. in the vicinity of 22nd Street and Market Avenue. East St. Louis police officers were the first to respond to reports of the shooting.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered McCray inside a vehicle, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:10 a.m. by the St. Clair County Coroner. A second individual was also found at the scene with a gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The Illinois State Police were called in to lead the homicide investigation.
In a tragic turn of events, the investigation led to the arrest of Anthony L. Powe, 49, who was identified as the victim's father. On April 11, 2026, Powe was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his son, Davanta McCray, and attempted murder in connection with the other victim who was wounded in the shooting. Following the charges, Powe was held at the St. Clair County Jail awaiting his initial court appearance.
