
By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police said a four-year old boy was in critical condition with a gunshot wound after a shooting Monday afternoon that killed three men.
The child was critically wounded in a shooting at an apartment complex at 311 Riley Dr. The Bloomington Fire Department initially took the boy to a nearby hospital before Life Flight Helicopter transported him to a Peoria hospital.
Bloomington Police were called at about 2:45 p.m., and blocked traffic on Riley, between Mecherle and Bradley Drives.
McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis pronounced the three men dead at the scene. She’s scheduled to perform autopsies Tuesday.
Police said Monday night they had not made any arrests, and they did not know a motive.
This has been a particularly violent couple of months in Bloomington-Normal, as three shootings left seven people dead since April 25.
Monday’s triple homicide came just eight days after an east side shooting left two people dead. Taneshiea Brown,20, and Steven Alexander, 18, died from multiple gunshot wounds in the 1200 block of Orchard Road, near Veterans Parkway and East Empire, during the early morning hours of June 10. Police have not made any arrests in that case.
Joseph Gardner, 20, and Reginaldt Hart Jr., 19, both from Bloomington, died from a total of 21 gunshot wounds in April at Lancaster Heights Apartments on East College Avenue in Normal. Police arrested Christopher Harrison, 18, who lived at the apartment complex, on charges including first degree murder and possession of stolen guns and ammunition, including an AR-15 rifle.
Anyone with information about Monday’s Riley Drive shooting is asked to contact Bloomington Police Detective Tim Power at (309) 434-2579 or [email protected], Detective Brad Melton at (309) 434-2537 or [email protected], or Detective Steve Moreland at (309) 434-2359 or [email protected].
Anonymous tips can be phoned into McLean County Crime Stoppers at 309-828-1111. Rewards of up to $1,000 are offered for information that leads to an arrest or indictment.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]