On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 10:15 p.m., the Champaign Police Department was dispatched to the 2300 block of Sangamon Drive for a report of a shooting with injuries. Upon arrival, officers located a 12-year-old male victim in a vehicle with life-threatening gunshot wounds to the neck. Officers on-scene immediately rendered medical aid with the assistance of the Champaign Fire Department until he could be transported to an area hospital. Presently, the child remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The initial investigation indicates that while the victim was located by officers in a vehicle in the 2300 block of Sangamon Drive, the shooting incident occurred in the 600 block of Dogwood Drive. The minor child had been riding in a vehicle with an older family member when the driver determined that that they were being followed by another vehicle. After some time, the driver was able to get behind the suspicious vehicle in traffic while attempting to identify the vehicle or its driver. Minutes later, the suspect vehicle stopped before the occupant produced a firearm and opened fire, striking the victim vehicle multiple times and wounding one of the passengers inside. In addition to multiple bullet holes in the vehicle, damage was also reported to a nearby home.
Officers have conducted a thorough canvass of the surrounding area for witnesses and video footage that may be of investigative assistance. Any resident or business with exterior surveillance camera systems in the area between the crime scene in the 600 block of Dogwood Drive and the location where the vehicle was found in the 2300 block of Sangamon is asked to contact the police department. No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing. Future updates may be provided as they become available.
Champaign Police ask that anyone who has additional information please call 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.
Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards of $5,000 for tips that lead to an arrest in any homicide case, $2,500 for tips leading to an arrest in a felony crime involving a firearm, and up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for any other crime.