A man was killed and a child was injured in a shooting that unfolded Wednesday morning in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, though conflicting early reports have left key details of the case unsettled. Police spent the morning combing the scene for evidence and searching for whoever pulled the trigger, with no suspect identified or arrested as of the latest reporting.
According to FOX 2, authorities responded to the shooting around 11 a.m. Wednesday on North 74th Street, where Cahokia Heights police closed off a stretch of road to investigate. The outlet reported that the Cahokia Heights police chief confirmed officers were investigating the shooting and actively searching for a suspect, while Illinois State Police confirmed an adult man and a toddler had been shot. Investigators numbered 13 evidence markers at the scene, and residents were not told to shelter in place, per the same account.
Additional reports on the shooting Wednesday provided further details. First Alert 4 reported that a man and a toddler were shot while inside a car, writing that “the extent of their injuries is not known as of this article’s publication.” That report, citing Illinois State Police, said officers were called to the 200 block of North 74th Street in St. Clair County at around 10:25 a.m. Wednesday.
KSDK Identifies Victim, Names Apartment Complex
KSDK reported a different outcome entirely, stating that a man was killed and a child injured in a shooting at a Cahokia Heights apartment complex Wednesday. Cahokia Heights Police Chief Thomas Trice told the station the shooting occurred at the Greystone Apartments, and that the injured child was taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for treatment. St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye identified the man who died as Damario Johnson, a resident of the complex and a father of two, according to KSDK’s report.
As of 11:20 a.m., the scene remained active, with investigators placing evidence markers on the ground, the station reported. KSDK later reported that a man died and a child was injured at Greystone Apartments.
Pattern of Violence at the Complex
KSDK noted that Wednesday’s shooting was not an isolated event at the Greystone Apartments this year. The station reported that a shooting there in July injured a 12-year-old, and that a 19-year-old was fatally shot at the same complex in June.
The violence in Cahokia Heights has not been limited to the apartment complex. FOX 2 separately reported on an overnight shooting in the 800 block of Saint William Drive that left a 17-year-old dead and a 16-year-old injured around 1:35 a.m. Saturday. That case prompted the activation of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, with 15 members working the investigation; authorities said at the time that no information was available on potential suspects or a motive.
Police were searching for a suspect in Wednesday’s shooting. This remains a developing story, and further updates are expected as police continue their investigation.
