1 Dead, 4 Wounded in 2 Shootings Near the University of Illinois

Police believe the two incidents may be related, and are still searching for suspects in both

One person was killed and four others wounded in a pair of shootings near the University of Illinois in Champaign early Sunday, according to police.

Around 12:38 a.m., officers responding to multiple reports of a shooting in the 300 block of East Green Street found four victims with gunshot wounds, according to a statement from the Champaign Police Department.

Police said an argument broke out at an apartment party near the scene, then spilled out into the street where a fight broke out and shots were fired, striking four people.

All four were taken to area hospitals, according to police, where one was pronounced dead. He was later identified as 22-year-old George Korchev, of Mundelein. The other three victims sustained non-critical injuries, according to police.

Korchev and the other victims were not involved in the fight, authorities said, but were walking in the area when gunfire erupted.

A fifth person who was running from the gunfire was struck by a vehicle and also sustained minor injuries, according to police. 

Approximately 30 minutes later, police received another report of a shooting less than a mile away, in the 700 block of South State Street a few blocks west of campus. Officers found a shooting victim who was taken to an area hospital for a non-critical wound.

Police said preliminary investigations suggest that the two shootings may be related. Authorities also said the gunman was not believed to be a student, according to an email sent to undergraduates in one of the university's residence halls. 

Of the four surviving victims, three had been released from the hospital by Sunday evening, officials said. 

The investigation is ongoing, as police continue to search for a suspect in both shooting incidents. The driver of the car that struck the pedestrian came forward, according to police, and was cooperative with law enforcement. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Champaign Police via email at police@champaignil.gov or by phone at 217-351-4545.

Contact Us