Markel J. Staples was 16 when he was fatally shot on November 23, 2023, in Cahokia Heights, St. Clair County, Illinois. The shooting occurred in the 300 block of Adele Avenue, where Staples and another teenager were found in an SUV; both had suffered gunshot wounds. Staples was pronounced dead just before 4 p.m. by St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. The other teen survived, though no details about that person’s condition are provided in the reports.

The incident happened on Thanksgiving Day and is sometimes described as in the vicinity of East St. Louis, though the address is in Cahokia Heights. Cahokia Heights police were investigating, and there is no information available about arrests or suspects in connection with Staples’s death. If anyone has information about what happened that afternoon on Adele Avenue or knew Markel, please come forward with tips for investigators.