St. Louis, MO: East St. Louis triple murder suspect said to be a victim's ex-boyfriend

By Nicholas J.C. Pistor
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Nov. 11 2009
EAST ST. LOUIS — A man charged with killing three women outside a convenience
store here is reported to be the spurned boyfriend of one of the victims — and
father of one of three children who escaped injury in the attack.

Relatives of Jaimaca McDaniel, 24, one of the women ambushed Saturday night,
said she had broken up with Milton Lattimore, who then made threats.

Lattimore, 21, of East St. Louis, was arrested Sunday. Prosecutors filed
first-degree murder charges against him Tuesday.

Illinois State Police detectives allege that Lattimore approached a Dodge
Caliber while it was parked at a fuel pump at the Crown Food Mart, at Martin
Luther King Drive and Collinsville Avenue, about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. They say
he fatally shot all three women inside, then fled in a car that was later
recovered in St. Louis.

The victims were identified as McDaniel; Tenika Harvey, 26; and Raykel N.
Gathing, 26, all of East St. Louis. Relatives said the three had been close
friends since childhood.

Family members said Lattimore was the father of two of Jaimaca McDaniel's three
children, including one who was among three youngsters 8 and younger in the car
during the shooting.

"He told people that if he couldn't have her, nobody could," said Emma
McDaniel, the victim's mother.

Lattimore was held in lieu of $2 million bail. He has three prior convictions,
for drug possession and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according
to court records.

Meanwhile, Major Case Squad detectives said the fatal shooting of McDaniel's
cousin Monday afternoon appeared to be an accident. On Monday afternoon, Zondra
Garner, 22, was found dead in an alley outside the Samuel Gompers housing
complex in the 600 block of North Sixth Street in East St. Louis.

Eric Van Hook, a detective with the Major Case Squad, said his agency's
investigation indicated that Garner's own gun discharged as she was getting out
of her car, killing her, according to Van Hook. The gun was found lying near
her body.

Tim O'Neil of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.