‘We must create a level of unity': Decatur officials react after 3 shot in 3 days
Last weekend, a 34-year-old man was killed near Church and Leafland. A few days later, on April 18, a teenager was shot in broad daylight. On Sunday, a 21-year-old was hurt just steps away from Millikin University after police reported he was shot in the legs and neck. A few hours later, a 32-year-old man was shot in the leg.
At this point in the investigation, police don't believe the incidents are related. They are being investigated as separate incidents and no arrests have been made.
That doesn't change the fact that people are hurting, especially one community leader who's connected to the 21-year-old victim.
'It's a sad tragedy when you see a young person trying to do better, change his life, and success is at the end of that road,' Courtney Carson, a vice president at Richland Community College and community activist, said.
PHOTOS: Decatur Fire Dept. investigating after 'heavy' fire destroys home
The victim is enrolled in Carson's EnRich program at Richland Community, classes intended to transform lives and help people find careers they're passionate about. Now, his hard work is put on pause after Sunday's shooting.
'His life is hanging in the balance,' Carson said.
He's not the only shooting victim recovering in the hospital. A 32-year-old is as well, after police said he was shot in the leg on Sunday afternoon.
Decatur Police are investigating both crimes, as well as Friday's shooting when a 16-year-old was hurt.
'Any act of gun violence is concerning. The time of day goes to show you that there's a possibility people are going to do these things at any time,' Brad Allen, Decatur's Deputy Chief, said.
Three shootings in three days isn't a trend police want the community getting used to.
Decatur Police chief reflects on new mental health law, welcomes 5 new officers
'This isn't acceptable, and this isn't how we're going to be in Decatur,' Allen added.
The department's goal is to keep everyone safe, and he encourages anyone to speak up if they know something that could help solve a case.
Carson understands the importance of speaking up and wants to teach adults the right way to connect with kids who may be heading down the wrong path.
'Talk to the young people whom you know are carrying the guns. That you know is practicing criminal activity. Because essentially, that blood is on your hands,' Carson said.
He believes connecting with the right generation can make a long-term change, a change that both he and the police are ready to see in the city they call home.
'Hopefully, the community understands that it's our goal to combat this, and we'll work on it together,' Allen added.
On Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the Community of Neighborhood Organizations (CONO) will host a public safety panel at the Decatur Public Library. The sheriff, the state's attorney and two police officers will be there to answer questions about neighborhood safety.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Motorcyclist, teen girl killed in 2 separate traffic collisions in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach police are investigating whether impairment may have played a role in two separate traffic collisions Friday and Sunday that claimed the lives of a 37-year-old Huntington Beach man and an unidentified 15-year-old girl. The first crash, described by police as a motorcycle versus tow truck, took place Friday shortly before 3 p.m. near the intersection of McFadden Avenue and Springdale Street, where a blue Yamaha R1 motorcycle reportedly crashed into the back of a yellow Ford tow truck carrying a vehicle. Huntington Beach police spokesman Corbin Carson said the tow truck was stopped on McFadden, just west of Springdale, but could not say whether the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or may have been on the side of the road when it was struck, as the incident is still under investigation. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered the motorcyclist — described as a 37-year-old man from Huntington Beach — had sustained life-threatening injuries. Paramedics attempted to provide medical treatment, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to an HBPD release. The unidentified driver of the truck cooperated with police, who determined that he was not impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. However, it was still unknown Wednesday whether impairment may have been a factor for the man on the motorcycle. Huntington Beach police on Sunday, at around 8:11 p.m., were dispatched to a collision near the intersection of Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard involving three vehicles, according to a release issued Monday. According to a preliminary investigation, a silver 2014 Honda Accord was traveling westbound on Edinger, just east of Beach, when it reportedly struck a white Lexus RX head-on in the eastbound lanes. A third car, a silver Lexus GS, crashed into the second vehicle shortly after the first collision. Officers located the driver of the Accord — described as a 44-year-old Santa Ana woman who was not being named due to a pending investigation — who'd suffered major injuries and was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital. In the car with the woman were two 15-year-old female passengers who were hospitalized with injuries. One of the teens, a resident of Westminster, died from her injuries, while the second is expected to recover. Neither of the teens' identities was being released to the public, and it is unclear how or whether one or both of them may have been related to the driver, Carson said Wednesday. While Huntington Beach police suspect the Santa Ana driver may have been impaired by drugs or alcohol when the crash occurred, Carson would not say Wednesday whether the driver might be arrested or face charges upon her recovery. The other two drivers involved in the incident — a 23-year-old Westminster woman and a 75-year-old Santa Ana man — sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, according to Monday's release. Both incidents are being investigated by Huntington Beach Police Department's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT). Anyone who may have witnessed the collisions, or the events leading up to them, is encouraged to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator Cameron Houlston at (714) 960-5670 or (714) 536-5559.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Jimmie Allen found liable in sexual assault after failing to comply with court orders
Jimmie Allen, the Grammy-nominated singer known for 'Best Shot' and 'Warrior,' is liable for sexually assaulting a woman in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2022 and filming it, a federal judge decided this week. Judge Aleta A. Trauger on Monday filed an order in Tennessee federal court granting a motion for sanctions and judgment against the 40-year-old country musician, according to court documents reviewed by The Times. Allen's accuser — identified in court documents as 'Jane Doe 2' — filed her motion against the singer and his co-defendants in May, but they failed to respond in a timely manner, the order said. 'The court therefore interprets this motion to be unopposed,' Trauger said, adding later in her order, 'defendants throughout have failed to comply with case management discovery deadlines and even failed to comply with specific Orders of this court.' The order adds that Allen and the co-defendants — his bodyguard and Aadyn's Dad Touring Inc. — also failed to pay the plaintiff $5,950 in nonrefundable legal fees, as ordered in March. A legal representative for the defendants did not immediately respond on Wednesday to The Times' request for comment. Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney for the plaintiff, told The Times on Wednesday that her legal team is 'pleased with the Court's decision to grant judgment for Plaintiff in light of Jimmie Allen's refusal to participate in the litigation process.' 'We look forward to proving up Plaintiff's damages caused by Allen's predatory acts,' Fegan added. Allen faced multiple sexual assault lawsuits in the summer of 2023, which took a toll on his career and professional opportunities. In May 2023, a woman who said she was Allen's former manager accused him of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, sex trafficking and emotional distress. The woman — identified in court documents as 'Jane Doe' — dropped her complaint against Allen in March 2024 after reaching a settlement with the singer, and eventually dismissed the case with prejudice in October 2024. Jane Doe 2 sued Allen in June 2023, requesting a jury trial and an unspecified amount in damages. She alleged in her complaint that Allen sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in Las Vegas in July 2022. She also accused the singer of filming the alleged assault without her consent, causing her to 'suffer extreme emotional distress, including anxiety and depression.' Allen responded to the two lawsuits with a countersuit of his own in July 2023. At the time, he denied the allegations and accused one woman of defaming him, and the other woman of illegally taking his cellphone after consenting to being recorded. Amid the final weeks of litigation in Jane Doe 2's suit, Allen promoted new music and live concerts on social media. Earlier this month, he also addressed the sexual assault allegations on the 'Playlisted Podcast,' hosted by Austin Burke. 'I always tell people, 'No matter where you go in life, the more successful you become ... be careful because you have a target on your back,'' he said in an episode published Aug. 10. 'Anytime you hear the word 'lawsuit,' know there's money involved.' He added later in the episode: 'As the world moves forward, I just wish people are smarter. I hope people aren't 'sheeple' anymore. That people actually use their brain in every decision, in everything they read.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Convicted felon in Lufkin pleads guilty to federal firearms violation
LUFKIN, Texas (KETK)– A Lufkin man pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation after being arrested in February. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Eastern District of Texas, on Feb. 3, 2025, Preston Allen, 58, was arrested at his house in Lufkin when officers found him standing outside with an AR-15 style rifle. 'Operation Take Back America': 2 Mexican nationals sentenced after trafficking meth in East Texas 'Allen was ordered to put the rifle on the ground and was taken into custody,' officials said. 'Further investigation revealed Allen is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.' Allen pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on Tuesday and faces up to 15 years in federal prison at sentencing. The Department of Justice said a sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation. Lufkin man pleads guilty to federal firearms violation Allen's case was part of Operation Take Back America, 'a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
