Four charged ‘so far’ in connection with O’Fallon bowling alley shooting
Four people have been charged “so far” in connection with a brawl and shooting at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon earlier this month, according to police.
The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office on Friday filed charges against:
Mykel Davis, 20, of St. Louis, on one count of possession of a firearm with a Firearms Owner Identification card and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Brandon Smith, 32, of Columbia, Missouri, on one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and a count of obstructing justice.
Otarius Thomas, 28, an unhoused person, on a single charge of unlawful use of a weapon.
Imunique Williams, 25, of East St. Louis, on a count of aggravated battery.
Additional charges may be filed, the release suggests.
“We are actively working with the state’s attorney’s office. There is a possibility,” O’Fallon Police Chief Kirk Bruggemann confirmed in a text message.
O’Fallon police officers were dispatched to St. Clair Bowl at 5950 Old Collinsville Road for the report of shots fired inside the building at about 9:44 p.m. on March 3. Multiple agencies responded, including Illinois State Police, blocking Old Collinsville Road at the intersection of Ashland Avenue for nearly an hour.
Two bystanders were struck by gunfire after being caught in the middle of a violent altercation. Both were struck in the lower extremities, but both were treated and released from an area hospital.
Investigators interviewed witnesses and checked surveillance video from multiple cameras to identify the suspects, police said at the time.
“The charges stem from a thorough investigation into the activities that took place just prior to the shooting and immediately after,” according to a release from the O’Fallon Police Department.
According to a release issued by police Monday afternoon, the shooting followed a physical altercation between two individuals near the front counter of the bowling alley. Several individuals displayed handguns and multiple shots were fired.
“It should be noted when this occurred, there were families with children in the bowling alley in the area of the shooting,” Monday’s release stated. “ Additionally, we do not have any evidence that this incident is connected to an earlier disturbance that evening involving several juvenile females at the bowling alley.”
