EAST ST. LOUIS/BELLEVILLE - Illinois State Police said Friday that special agents arrested two East St. Louis men on first-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old Belleville man last week in East St. Louis.

The agency said 18-year-old Rashad M. Bonner and 21-year-old Damontez F. Williams were arrested by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Public Safety Enforcement Group. The arrests were announced on June 12, 2026.

According to state police, the East St. Louis Police Department requested assistance from ISP on June 6, 2026, with a homicide investigation in the area of 84th Street and Washington Street.

Police said the victim, Dewayne T. Wright of Belleville, was shot multiple times while walking with Bonner and Williams. Wright was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

State police said that after what they described as a thorough investigation, special agents identified Bonner and Williams as suspects. ISP said it presented the case to St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric, and first-degree murder charges were filed against both men.

Bonner and Williams are being held at the St. Clair County Jail pending their first court appearances, according to the state police.

The charges are not evidence against the defendants, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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