Tragedy struck Interstate 80 in New Lenox Monday evening when 30-year-old Leniere Clayton was killed in a shooting that appeared to have stemmed from a road rage incident. Leniere's mother, Lenora Clayton, was informed by Illinois State Police about her son's untimely death, a moment she found hard to grasp. "I found it hard to believe, still do. I feel like I’m just in a haze, I don’t believe it, but yet, he’s not here," Lenora told WGN-TV.
The incident, which took place near the entrance to I-355, occurred after both drivers reportedly exited their vehicles following an altercation, resulting in Leniere being fatally shot. The scene, captured by SkyCam 9, showed both Leniere's Honda Civic and the other individual's SUV crashed into the median. "It is just senseless and random and jarring because it just doesn’t make any sense," Leniere's sister, Mia Clayton, said in a statement.
Mia Clayton shared further details about her brother's life and death in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. She recalled missing a call from her brother moments before the fatal incident and described Leniere as someone everybody loved, who adored his family and loved to dance. Shocked by the news, Mia said, "I did not immediately cry...But I was in disbelief that we were being told not only my brother was dead but that someone murdered him, and that’s what makes it so much harder." The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Phillip E. Rogers of Chicago, faces first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of weapon charges.
Leniere Clayton, the youngest of three and an employee at an auto auction shop in Markham, had a persona that could infuse life into parties and gatherings, according to his loving sister, Mia. Remembered also for an embodied smile that echoed his late father's, Leniere held a passion for music and dancing, especially to the tunes of rapper Key Glock. To help ease the financial burden of funeral costs, a GoFundMe page has been set up in Leniere's name, having raised over $17,000 towards a $25,000 goal as of Wednesday morning. Mia solemnly stated, "He really was the life of the party, whether it was a wedding or a cousins trip to Florida," in remarks she gave to the Chicago Sun-Times.
