Champaign Police were dispatched at 3:00 a.m. on May 13, 2023, to a business in the 900 Block of Bloomington Road in Champaign for a report of disorderly subjects. As officers arrived on-scene, they witnessed a battery in-progress and quickly heard a gunshot from the same area. As the crowd quickly disbursed, officers located two women with injuries. The first victim, a 36-year-old Champaign woman, had sustained injuries in the melee, including battery to the head. The second victim, a 40-year-old Champaign woman who worked in the store, suffered bruises from the battery along with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the right shoulder. Both victims were treated on-scene by Champaign Police and Fire personnel before being transported to an area hospital by ambulance.
An initial investigation indicates that an impromptu gathering had started in the parking lot just minutes before the incident. The 40-year-old victim had denied entry to several people prior to the incident when a fight broke out, including a battery using a baseball bat. The fight quickly escalated to the discharge of a firearm. Officers conducted a canvass of the surrounding area for witnesses and video footage that may be of investigative assistance. Any resident or business in the nearby area with exterior surveillance camera systems is encouraged to notify 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. At this time, no other injuries or property damage have been confirmed.
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.