On July 25, 2023, Turyan S. Austell Jr., a 23-year-old man from Shiloh, Illinois, was fatally shot on a MetroLink train in East St. Louis, Illinois. The incident occurred at approximately 5:44 a.m. when deputies from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of shots fired at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center Metro Link Station. Upon arrival, they found Austell, who had been shot multiple times. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation, led by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and assisted by various local law enforcement agencies, revealed that Austell and the suspect, Jarell M. Anderson, also 23 years old, were familiar with each other. The two had gotten into an argument on the train before the shooting. Anderson, who lives on North Park Drive in East St. Louis, fired the shots once the train was stopped at the station and then fled the scene.
As a result of the investigation, Jarell M. Anderson was taken into custody and charged with Murder with Intent to Kill or Injure. His bond was set at $2,000,000. The incident highlighted a tragic confrontation that ended in the loss of a young life in a public transportation setting.
