Metro East family torn apart after crash leaves one dead, two seriously injured

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (KMOV) – The break went bad. It’s a living nightmare for a Metro East family after three family members were shot and one killed Saturday.

A triple shooting happened early Saturday morning in Belleville near South Church Street. Trisha Burton, 43, was found dead at the scene. Samantha Burton, 35, and her 15-year-old daughter Kira are still in hospital. Another person, Samantha Burton, is the person accused of the shooting and murder.

“They were a light in our family. They were beautiful personalities, beautiful people, and the kindest people you’ll ever meet,” Christina McClain said.

McClain is the aunt of Trisha and Samantha Burton. She and Danielle Burton, their middle sister, spoke with News 4 on Monday. They said their family felt betrayed after being betrayed by someone they had known for decades.

“It was like an out-of-body experience. “How could you do this to a family that opened up to you,” McClain asked.

Samantha Burton’s life changed forever early Saturday morning when Belleville police say Markeith Wright, Samantha Burton’s significant other, shot Samantha’s sister, Trisha Burton, and injured Samantha and her daughter, Kyrie. Later Saturday night, Wright was arrested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“They were still living together, but she made it clear that all they did was argue and it wasn’t a relationship with her,” Danielle Burton said. “He just didn’t accept it and he did something that you know changed our lives forever. I lost my older sister and my younger sister is 18 months apart, I never knew life without her. I can’t lose both of them.”

Samantha Burton and her daughter Keira were both shot in the head. Samantha Burton is in a coma, but family said she is responding to light and feeling. The family said Kira had woken up, but doctors said they weren’t sure she would ever see again.

“Trisha was literally the kindest person you’ll ever meet. She had the biggest heart, she loved animals,” McClain said.

The warm spirit of this family will never return and the other two pray to stay with them.

“We’re just shocked that such good, kind, wonderful people, someone would do this out of hurt feelings,” McClain said.

We went to the Belleville Police Department Monday afternoon to ask more questions about this ongoing investigation. No one came back to us.

If you want to help the family in this difficult time, you can contact them GoFundMe page.

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