Multiple people shot in southern Illinois, three suspects on loose

Multiple victims were reported shot in southern Illinois late Thursday afternoon and at least three suspects who crashed their getaway vehicle into a passenger train remained on the loose, authorities said.

The shooting victims included a man and a woman but police did not immediately release an exact number of victims, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.

East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry said multiple people were shot.

The shooting occurred outside the East Side Meat Market, Perry said.

Illinois State Police said Thursday night the scene was still active.

The shooting suspects tried to out-run a MetroLink train at a nearby crossing and their vehicle was struck, the station said. Police were searching for the suspects in a wooded area, KMOV-TV reported.

East St. Louis is located about 6 miles (9.66 kilometers) east of St. Louis, Missouri.

The shooting happened after 4 p.m., Illinois State Police said in a news release.

The public was asked to avoid the area of the shooting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

MetroLink was warning of delays of an hour or more in that area. Passengers were being transported by bus shuttles around the two affected stations, said Patti Beck, a communications official with Bi-State Development, which operates MetroLink.

No further information was immediately available.