East St. Louis mother charged with murder in deaths of two children

Carolyn P. Smith | Belleville News-Democrat

BELLEVILLE -- Yokeia T. Smith, the 25-year-old accused of shooting her two young children to death, was charged Friday in East St. Louis with two counts of first-degree murder.

No bail was set.

The charges were announced Friday morning by St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly.

Smith, of 3040 Lincoln Ave. in East St. Louis., was arrested Wednesday evening.

The bodies of Yokela Smith, 4, and LeVada Brown, 5, were killed by a series of shotgun blasts inside their apartment. They were pronounced dead at 7:44 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said Smith was armed with a loaded shotgun when she was captured shortly after the shootings in downtown St. Louis. Police said she struck two pedestrians on Market Street before she was apprehended outside KMOV-TV at 1 Memorial Drive.

On Thursday, St. Louis police charged her with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action.

Read the complete story at bnd.com

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