On September 29, 2022, 8-year-old Cael Thornton was shot and killed in his family home in West Peoria, Illinois. Cael was found alongside his mother, Quadreka S. Payne, who had also been shot during a violent altercation in the house. The incident began with a heated argument between Quadreka and her husband, Rickey J. Payne, which escalated into physical violence. Rickey struck Quadreka multiple times, fracturing bones in her face, and then shot her several times. Cael, who had been upstairs with his 15-month-old twin siblings, was shot twice in the head; the twins were unharmed.

Authorities arrested 35-year-old Rickey J. Payne and charged him with multiple counts of first-degree murder. He initially denied involvement but later admitted to the shootings, saying the fight began over late-night messages and describing a struggle in which he overpowered Quadreka and shot her. He told investigators he shot Cael after the boy came downstairs and interfered with his attempts to clean up the scene; he also said he tried to stage the scene as a break-in and called 911 claiming to be locked outside.

The loss of Cael and Quadreka devastated their family and community. Does anyone have information about the family, the home, or events that night that could add detail to the timeline?