Shots rang out following a Friday night high school basketball game between Danville and Champaign Central. And three people were hit by the bullets, including a 15-year-old female from Danville High School. Others who were wounded were identified by Champaign Police as a 17-year-old female from Champaign and an 18-year-old female student at Parkland College. Their names were not released.
Champaign Police say all three were taken to area hospitals with what was described as non-life threatening gunshot wounds.
Police say they received multiple reports of shots fired in the 500 block of West University Avenue around 9:20 p.m. It was right after the game between Danville and Champaign Central ended. In addition to the three people who were shot, police say they also received numerous reports of property damage as a result of the gunfire.
Preliminary police reports indicated the shots were fired from an area east of Champaign Central High School by an unknown person or persons. It was about ten minutes before the shooting at the high school that police responded to another shooting in the 2000 block of Cynthia Drive. Preliminary police reports said a 25-year-old male victim was shot while sitting in his vehicle. He was taken to an area hospital with apparent non-life threatening injuries.
Police say it has not been determined whether the two shooting incidents are related. Champaign Police are actively investigating both shootings and are seeking information from the public. Anyone who has information that might help in solving these crimes is asked to call the Champaign Police Investigation Division at 217-351-4545. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers by phone at (217) 373-8477 (TIPS); online at www.373tips.com; or the ‘’P3 Tips’’ mobile app.
Champaign Police remind citizens that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes the 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 a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for these crimes.
[This story posted by Bill Pickett on December 9, 2017.]
