EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Bringing more crime-fighting tools to the metro east will be the focus of an event later Wednesday morning in East St. Louis. This comes as the Major Case Squad is currently investigating two murder cases in the metro east.

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center is where multiple high-ranking officials including the director of the Illinois State Police, Brendan Kelly, are set to appear in a matter of hours to announce that more resources are coming to this area to try and reduce crime. The announcement is certainly timely after the violence just Tuesday in the metro east. There are also new developments Wednesday morning in one of those Major Case Squad investigations.

The Major Case Squad released an image of someone they are calling a person of interest in connection with the murder that happened early Tuesday morning at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee MetroLink Station.

Our Bommmarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter was flying over the scene. Authorities have identified the victim in the case as 23-year-old Turyan Austell Jr. of Shiloh. Investigators said Austell and another man got into a dispute at the station.

That escalated into the suspect allegedly shooting Austell who was on the MetroLink train at the time. The train went to the next stop in Washington Park, Illinois, where first responders treated Austell. Tragically, he died from his injuries.

Then later in the day, the Major Case Squad was activated again after a double shooting in Madison on Edwardsville Road. One person was killed, and another was taken to a nearby hospital with what are described as non-life threatening injuries.

The identity of the victims in that case have not yet been released and there are no suspects in custody.

The event here at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center starts at 10:00 a.m. ISP director Kelly will be joined by the St. Clair County state’s attorney, the East St. Louis police chief, and Illinois State Senator Christopher Belt.