2 Dead, 3 Injured After Weekend Gun Violence in Champaign and Danville

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URBANA – Multiple reports of gun violence kept Central Illinois police busy over the weekend.

Friday 11:00 p.m.

It started late Friday night in the 2000 block of Cynthia Drive. Champaign police say a 23-year-old man was taken to the hospital after being shot in the arm during a large fight. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. There is no arrest in this case.

Saturday 1:30 a.m.

An Illini Alert was issued Saturday at 1:30 a.m. after two men were shot in the Campustown area. According to Champaign police, one 24-year-old man

from Danville suffered a gunshot wound to “a lower extremity.” And the other 24-year-old Danville was hit in the foot. Both men were transported to the hospital and are in stable condition, according to a city press release.

The shots were reportedly fired near Third and Green Streets. A University of Illinois press release says neither victim was affiliated with the University of Illinois. There were no arrests in this case. 

In a deal with the city of Champaign, the University of Illinois police department will take over patrols of Campustown. Earlier this month, Illinois Newsroom reported that the department has hired seven new uniformed officers for the task. U of I police will start their patrols on October 1.

Saturday 3:30 a.m.

The first fatal shooting of the weekend happened early Saturday morning in Champaign. Police responded to a strip mall in the 700 block of N. Neil Street in Champaign around 3:30 a.m. A 36-year-old man was transported to the hospital after police say he was shot during an argument. The man died at the hospital. The Champaign County Coroner identified him as Oscar Mallet.

Later in the day, Champaign police say they arrested 32-year-old Neilmyer Anderson in Urbana.

Sunday 3:30 a.m.

Police in Danville responded to a home in the 100 block of Cherry Street. Upon arrival, officers found a 31-year-old man shot to death. Officers recalled visiting the home a few hours earlier for a loud party complaint. There have been no arrests in this case.

Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call the Danville police department at 217.431.2250.

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on six NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsIPM