Charlie Howard, 29, was shot dead in East St. Louis, Illinois, on March 13, 2021. Officers were called to the Samuel L. Gompers Housing complex at 450 North 6th Street about 3:10 AM and found Howard with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Another victim, 27-year-old Martinel Labon, was found critically injured and later died at a regional hospital.

Investigators from the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation and the East St. Louis Police Department developed a case that led to the arrest of 29-year-old Orlando M. Ladd Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee. Ladd was charged with two counts of first-degree murder; the charges allege he shot both victims in the head with intent to kill or cause great bodily harm. He was held on $1,000,000 bond pending extradition from the Rutherford County Jail in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face trial in Illinois.

The deaths devastated the East St. Louis community. If anyone has information about the shooting or knew Charlie Howard, please come forward to assist the investigation.