Miguel D. Villegas De-Santiago, an 18-year-old resident of Collinsville, Illinois, was fatally shot on January 1, 2023. The incident occurred around 2:10 p.m. in the 3300 block of Princeton Avenue in unincorporated Madison County. Madison County Sheriff's deputies responded to a shooting call and found Villegas De-Santiago shot inside a vehicle. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to his injuries.
The shooting took place during a family barbecue, with neighbors initially mistaking the gunfire for New Year's celebrations. Witnesses described the gunman as wearing a hoodie and fleeing the scene in a white vehicle parked near the intersection of College and Princeton Avenues.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated to investigate the homicide. As part of the investigation, two suspects were identified and charged in connection with Villegas De-Santiago's death. Albert Campos, 18, was charged with 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, and Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, with a bond set at $3,000,000. Matias L. Herrera, 26, was charged with 1st Degree Murder, with a bond set at $2,000,000.
Villegas De-Santiago was a recent graduate of Collinsville High School, and his death was the second fatal shooting in the Collinsville area on that day, following an earlier incident that resulted in the deaths of two other men in a parking lot after a fight at a nearby tavern. The community expressed shock and sadness over the incident, noting that such violent events were rare in the area.
