Charges have been filed against three men following an investigation into a shooting on Heritage Drive in early September 2022. On September 8, at 2:20 p.m., Champaign Police responded to the 2500-block of Heritage Drive for a report of a shooting with injury. Upon arrival, officers located two victims, a 76-year-old male with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and a 75-year-old female with potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to a local hospital where they were treated and later released.
Officers on-scene quickly learned that the victims were pulling into a driveway when two male subjects approached the vehicle and opened fire. The individuals then fled the area in a vehicle driven by a third subject. Following a thorough investigation, detectives determined that this was a case of mistaken identity and was not a random act of violence.
On October 13, 2022, 24-year-old Shamario Brown from Champaign, 27-year-old Kenichi Townsend from Urbana, and 41-year-old Juvon Mays from Champaign were charged with multiple Class X felonies in relation to this incident, including Attempted Murder and Aggravated Battery with a Firearm. Townsend and Mays were arrested in Urbana on September 12, 2022, after fleeing a traffic stop by a Champaign Police Officer. A third subject in that incident, later identified as Brown, was apprehended in Kendall County. All three are presently in custody on charges related to the September 12 incident.
The Champaign Police Department would like to thank the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance in investigating this incident.
Even though charges have been filed, the investigation remains ongoing, and it is still believed that eyewitnesses and video evidence could be of investigative significance. Any resident or business in the nearby area with exterior surveillance camera systems is encouraged to notify the police department. Champaign Police ask that anyone who has additional information contact police at 217-351-4545. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Citizens are reminded that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tips information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers and conversations are not recorded.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.