Gun Violence

McLean County prosecutors call it an unprecedented time in their office.

A judge found Sydney Mays guilty Wednesday of fatally wounding three men and critically injuring a child during a 2018 shooting in Bloomington.

UPDATED 5:40 p.m. | “A lottery by robbery” was behind a 2018 shooting that killed three men and left a 4-year old boy paralyzed, a prosecutor said in closing remarks Monday in the triple homicide trial of Sydney Mays.

UPDATED 3:10 p.m. | One woman was killed and another injured in a shooting early Saturday in downtown Bloomington, police said. A suspect is in custody.

The number of shootings in Bloomington-Normal is steady compared to previous years, but law enforcement is concerned about the increasing intensity of gun violence among young people.

Evidence that one of two victims of a June 2018 homicide was a gang member should be presented to the McLean County jury that will consider murder charges against the alleged assailant, according to arguments made in court Wednesday by the defendant’s lawyer.

Three people are dead after a shooting Saturday night at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford. Police Chief Daniel O'Shea confirmed there is a suspect in custody.

The Winnebago County Coroner's Office identified the three victims as:

• Thomas Furseth, 65, of Machesney Park
• Jerome Woodfork, 69, of Rockford
• Dennis Steinhoff, 73, of Rockford.

Winnebago County Coroner William Hintz said all three victims died from gunshot wounds.

A 23-year-old man told police he was shot Wednesday night in a road rage incident in far west Bloomington.

Two men accused in a 2019 murder in Bloomington will be tried together in February, a judge ruled on Thursday. 

Despite a temporary rule that extends the expiration dates for Firearm Owners Identification cards and concealed carry permits, many Illinois gun owners are still finding it difficult to buy weapons and ammunition.

Bloomington Police are investigating three shooting incidents late Wednesday and early Thursday within a few blocks of each other. One person was injured.

Prosecutors on Tuesday won their second murder conviction stemming from a botched 2018 drug robbery on Bloomington’s west side.

In his testimony Wednesday in the Scotty Allen murder trial, Kajuan Hobson denied telling police he believed his brother was killed in retaliation for another murder.

Before they went to Christopher Harrison’s home to steal guns, drugs and money, Joseph Gardner and Reggie Hart Jr. made a plan to take what they wanted, according to a detective’s testimony Thursday at Harrison’s murder trial.

Bloomington Police are investigating a shooting that injured one man Tuesday night on the city's west side.

A 37-year-old man was critically wounded by gunfire during an argument early Wednesday in Bloomington, police said.

A local group focused on responsible gun ownership and stopping gun violence is getting creative to spread its message in the face of COVID-19 and demonstrations over racial injustice.

Crime went down slightly in Bloomington last year, but shootings remain a big issue for the police department.

Bloomington Police said they are investigating an incident in which a 17-year-old boy was shot in the forearm on Saturday.

An 18-year-old faces weapons charges related to Tuesday's fatal shooting in Normal, though police say the killer remains at large.

The top federal prosecutor for central Illinois says a new anti-gun violence initiative will improve coordination between law enforcement agencies and keep more illegal weapons off the streets.

A national gun violence prevention group is praising U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis for his support of a new bill that would incentivize sales of safe storage devices through tax credits.

The McLean County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will expand its focus to include youth at risk for criminal activity and those who have been involved in violence, Judge Mark Fellheimer told the council Friday.