Champaign Police were dispatched at 6:43 p.m. on February 9, 2026, to the 800 block of S. Mattis Avenue following a report of shots fired. As they arrived in the area, they quickly located a 17-year-old male victim from Champaign injured inside of a vehicle in a parking lot. The man had suffered multiple potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds. Officers and personnel with the Champaign Fire Department immediately began to administer emergency medical aid until the victim could be transported to an area hospital. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Additionally, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Champaign Police were notified that a second person had arrived by personal transport at the emergency department with a gunshot wound. That person, a 19-year-old man from Champaign, remains hospitalized in stable condition.
At this time, Champaign Police are working to determine the facts of this case. Investigators are pursuing every lead and are seeking assistance from the community to confirm what happened to lead to the gunfire. 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.
Officers continue to canvass 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.
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.