CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. — It started out as a fun and festive Thanksgiving for the Gerlach family of Cahokia Heights.
"We had our whole family over for Thanksgiving. We were watching a movie," said Martha Gerlach, who has lived in the area for more than 60 years.
However, at 4 p.m. that afternoon, a shooting occurred in the typically quiet St. Clair County neighborhood.
"My son went out for a walk and he noticed there was this car resting against our guest's car and he said well call the police, so I did," said Gerlach.
Cahokia Heights police got to the 300 block of Adlele Avenue and found two teens had been shot inside a black Honda Accord. Investigators say the car didn't have any license plates and was reported stolen from Fairview Heights on Thursday morning.
Police say 16-year-old Markel Staples, the front-seat passenger, died after being shot in the head.
"It's really shocking because we never ever have anything like this in our neighborhood," Gerlach said.
Police say the wounded 17-year-old driver underwent surgery Friday.
Martha Gerlach got a glimpse of him.
"I could see that he was all bloody. He could barely talk, but when the police officer got here, he talked to the police officer," she said.
Police believe someone sitting in the back seat of the car shot the two victims and then ran off.
A canine unit from the Collinsville Police Department searched the area, but did not find any signs of the gunman. When officers got to that scene, they found a rear passenger door on the Honda Accord opened.
"It definitely went on our heartstrings because that's hard, being a mom I feel sorry for those people," Martha Gerlach said.
"On the holiday yet. That's got to be hard on the parents," said neighbor Dale Gerlach.
Police said the shooter, possibly a teenager himself, is known to police.
Cahokia Heights' police chief also told 5 On Your Side there may have been two suspects sitting in the back seat of the stolen car at the time of the deadly shooting.
"It's just very sad, especially with them being teenagers," Martha Gerlach said.
Investigators also believe everyone in that stolen car knew each other.
They're asking anyone who knows anything about the crime to call the Cahokia Heights Police Department at 618-825-2681.