A Lansing man, Edward Traywick Jr., is facing charges following a shooting incident inside a Bradley University dorm in Peoria, according to local police. The woman, who was shot in the abdomen, is not a student at the university and was reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital after the incident which occurred early Sunday morning.
Peoria police responded to the 900-block of North Duryea Place at approximately 2:14 a.m. after receiving reports of the shooting at the campus dormitory. In a scramble to hastily transport the 18-year-old victim to medical care, associates were intercepted by officers who consequently located the victim and rendered aid before an ambulance transported her to the hospital, as detailed by ABC7 Chicago.
Traywick, who at 19 is already facing multiple firearm-related charges, was among the guests of a Bradley student when the incident took place. These charges include unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm under the age of 21, as well as reckless discharge of a firearm. Local NBC affiliate, WEEK-TV, further reported that Traywick lacked a Firearm Owners Identification Card, essential for legally possessing firearms in Illinois.
While the circumstances leading up to the shooting were initially unclear, it has since been determined to have been accidental. Bradley University issued an advisory reassuring that there was no ongoing threat to public safety. "An 18-year-old woman was shot, and multiple people were attempting to take her to the hospital in a vehicle," Bradley University confirmed in a statement obtained by NBC Chicago.
In response to the shooting, Bradley University President James Shadid addressed the campus community, describing the events as "unsettling" and convened an open student forum Sunday afternoon with police and university officials in attendance to discuss the incident. This effort to communicate openly with concerned students and faculty underlines the ongoing dialogue around campus safety and firearms regulation within academic environments.
