Drive-by Shooting Near University of Illinois Leaves Victim Injured

Champaign, Illinois – A drive-by shooting occurred early Saturday morning near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, leaving one man injured. The shooting was reported at 12:34 a.m. at 411 E. Green St.

The Division of Public Safety promptly issued an Illini-Alert advising students and faculty to either leave the area or secure their locations. According to reports, the victim was a male who was described as ‘not alert’ by 12:28 a.m.

Law enforcement responded quickly, with multiple agencies including the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD), Urbana Police Department, and Illinois State Police on the scene. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and seeing bystanders running away in panic.

Charlie Marks, a sophomore studying Business, described the chaos, saying, ‘I heard a couple pops, and then everybody around me just started sprinting away from Green Street.’

Jacob Castaneda, a senior also in Business, was at Joe’s Brewery during the incident. ‘I thought it was fireworks, personally,’ he said, adding that he received the Illini-Alert shortly after.

By 12:38 a.m., both KAMS and Joe’s Brewery had locked their doors, restricting entry and exit as a precaution. A follow-up Illini-Alert sent at 12:47 a.m. confirmed that police were still investigating and urged people to avoid the area.

At 1:04 a.m., dispatchers reported that a suspect had been detained, and another Illini-Alert sent at 1:09 a.m. stated that authorities believed the suspect had left the area but remained on scene for further investigation.

This story is still developing and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.