One person is dead and three others are injured after gunfire tore through a nightclub in the 6800 block of State Street in East St. Louis on Friday afternoon. The shooting happened around 5 p.m., leaving four people shot in total and one victim declared dead at the scene.
Illinois State Police are investigating the shooting, according to a report from KMOV/First Alert 4, which said state police confirmed the shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. at the State Street nightclub. As of the station's report, no further information was available.
Separately, the St. Louis American reported on a shooting at Club VIP, also located in the 6800 block of State Street, that it said followed a confrontation between two groups of men inside the club. That outlet reported a different casualty count, saying the incident killed three men and injured two others, with two 18-year-olds treated and released and a 19-year-old man who was initially listed in critical condition later dying of his injuries.
A Stretch of State Street With a Violent History
The 6800 block of State Street has been the scene of repeated gun violence tied to nightclubs over the years. Back on Dec. 9, 2001, John Hill was shot to death behind Club Casino on that same block, according to St. Louis Public Radio. The station's reporting found that shootings stemming from altercations at Club Casino were linked to eight murders and the wounding of nine people between Hill's death and 2013.
That same report noted East St. Louis logged 341 unsolved murders between 2000 and 2018, underscoring how difficult it has been for investigators to close cases tied to violence in the city. A 2012 shooting outside a different East St. Louis nightclub, Club VIP, left three young men dead and two others wounded, per FOX 2 Now.
Other Recent Nightclub Shootings in the Area
Nightclub violence has continued to surface in and around East St. Louis in recent years.
More recently, in nearby Cahokia Heights, a shooting at an unlicensed Club VIP event left one person hurt but expected to survive, according to FOX 2 Now, which quoted local police describing unsanctioned events as a growing concern, noting several arrests at such gatherings in the preceding four weeks.
