In the late hours of June 6, 2026, the life of 22-year-old Dewayne T. Wright of Belleville, Illinois, was tragically cut short. At approximately 10 p.m., the sound of gunshots pierced the night near the intersection of Washington Street and North 84th Street in East St. Louis. When East St. Louis police and later, Illinois State Police troopers, arrived at the scene, they discovered Wright suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was urgently transported to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The St. Clair County Coroner, Calvin Dye Sr., later confirmed the identity of the victim as Dewayne T. Wright Jr.
The investigation into the homicide was swiftly taken over by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation. Their efforts quickly led them to identify two individuals who were reportedly with Wright at the time of the shooting. Investigators believe that Wright was walking with these two men when the fatal shots were fired. The diligent work of the state police special agents pointed to 18-year-old Rashad M. Bonner and 21-year-old Damontez F. Williams, both from East St. Louis, as the primary suspects in the case.
Following a thorough investigation, the case was presented to the St. Clair County State's Attorney, James Gomric. On June 12, 2026, just days after the shooting, first-degree murder charges were filed against both Bonner and Williams. The two suspects were subsequently arrested and are being held at the St. Clair County Jail as they await their initial court appearances. The case against Bonner and Williams marks the beginning of the legal proceedings to bring justice for the death of Dewayne T. Wright, a young life ended abruptly on a street in East St. Louis. The investigation and subsequent arrests brought a swift, initial resolution to the case, though the judicial process is just beginning.
