Swansea Police investigating weekend shootout on Illinois 161
Swansea Police are searching for two vehicles and the occupants inside them who they say engaged in a fiery shootout in the early-morning hours on Saturday.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Illinois 161 and Josephine Drive near Centennial Park after receiving several calls reporting that shots had been fired.
According to a press release “A dark colored Hyundai sedan with out-of-state plates shot into a white SUV approximately 30 times.”
The sedan did a u-turn and the driver headed toward Route 161 while the SUV fled eastbound on Illinois 161, the police release recounted.
Swansea police were on scene with a minute and a half of receiving the calls at about 2:30 in the morning.
“Both the suspect and victim vehicles were gone,” police said.
According to the release, officers located numerous shell casings at the scene as the Swansea Fire Department assisted in securing the scene.
The white SUV was later located in Belleville with numerous gun shot holes, police said.
Also, a person who has not been identified as a suspect later turned up at a St. Louis-area hospital to receive treatment of a bullet wound to his hand.
”That victim is not cooperating with police and will not talk to detectives,” according to the release from Swansea Police.
As the scene of the shooting was being processed for evidence, officers arrested a person suspected of driving under the influence. It was later determined, however, that person was not involved in the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Swansea Police Department at 618-233-8114.
This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 12:29 PM.
