Three arrested in shooting death of East St. Louis athlete, but none charged with murder
It’s been two years since a 14-year-old football standout was killed by a stray bullet at a Venice house party, and no one has been charged with his murder.
But the family of Jaylon McKenzie is feeling renewed hope that justice will be done.
That’s because they learned last week that police had arrested a third man in connection with the 2019 shooting. All three suspects have been charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm.
“I guess there were so many guns there that night, and there were so many people shooting, and bullets were flying from every angle at that party,” said Jaylon’s mother, Sukeena Gunner, 44, of Belleville.
“It’s a complicated case. It’s still going to take a little bit more time to identify which one hit my baby. They’re starting the process. They’re identifying some shooters, and I guess it’s just an ongoing investigation.”
Gunner said she’s now hoping the three suspects and others in the community will “do the right thing” and come forward to identify people who brought guns to the party on May 4, 2019, so those responsible for her son’s death will be held accountable.
Suspect arrested last week
Gunner said an Illinois State Police investigator called last week to tell her about the arrest of Jaylen M. Staten, 20, who was charged April 28 with one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, one count of reckless discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated unlawful use of weapons.
During the same phone call, Gunner learned the identities of two other men, Maurice K. Dickerson and Larrion D. Shelby, who had been charged in connection with the shooting.
“I’m just grateful that they have actually charged somebody, and they are starting to identify some of the people who were involved,” she said.
Dickerson, 21, was charged June 12, 2019, with one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm. Documents were sealed pending his arrest and unsealed July 3, 2019, according to Philip Lasseigne, spokesman for Madison County State’s Attorney’s Tom Haine’s office. Dickerson was later released on a recognizance bond.
Shelby, also 21, was charged Sept. 9, 2020, with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm. Documents were sealed pending his arrest and unsealed Nov. 17, 2020. He was later released with an ankle monitor.
Staten is being held in the St. Clair County Jail on unrelated charges dating back to March 2020, including one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Lasseigne declined to comment on whether murder or manslaughter charges were expected in the Jaylon McKenzie case. An Illinois State Police spokesperson couldn’t be reached Tuesday.
“The case is still under investigation,” Lasseigne said.
Likely to play college football
Jaylon had attended Central Junior High School in Belleville before transferring to Mason-Clark Middle School in East St. Louis in the spring of 2019 with the intent of playing football for the East St. Louis Senior High School Flyers.
Jaylon had begun with the Belleville Little Knights football organization at age 7 and continued with the East St. Louis Junior Flyers. His talent attracted the attention of college recruiters, who already had offered him scholarships to attend University of Illinois and University of Missouri.
An October 2018 issue of Sports Illustrated declared Jaylon one of “six teens who will rule the future of sports.”
On May 4, 2019, Jaylon went to a party in the 600 block of Third Street in Venice after an eighth-grade dance. A fight broke out, and the homeowner called police. An unnamed 15-year-old girl also was shot and taken to the hospital.
At the time, Gunner described her son as a good student in addition to being a great athlete.
“Jaylon did everything right,” she said. “If he did anything wrong, I didn’t know about it. He got up every morning, went to school, did his work. He never rode with anyone else. I’d take him to school, or sometimes my husband, and we’d pick him up.”
Jaylon’s death made national headlines, including in Sports Illustrated and on CNN. Dallas Cowboys Pro-Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was born in Alton, volunteered to cover the cost of his funeral.
Foundation focuses on youths
Gunner is a former teacher in St. Louis and East St. Louis. She lives in Belleville with her husband, Otis Gunner. Her son, Brandan McKenzie, 19, is attending Alabama A&M University on an academic scholarship.
In January 2020, Gunner formed the Jaylon “6” McKenzie Rising Star Foundation, which focuses on youth development.
“(Jaylon) played ball on both sides of the river, and he built relationships with a lot of kids in the area,” she said. “He loved his friends. He loved his family, and he loved the community.”
At Christmastime, the foundation took 10 area children on a Walmart shopping trip, allowing each to spend $200.
On Wednesday, the two-year anniversary of Jaylon’s death, the foundation will sponsor a Facebook giveaway of dorm-room supplies for high-school graduates headed to college. This summer, it’s planning a football camp.
On Nov. 29, Jaylon’s birthday, the foundation will organize the now-annual J Day Parade in East St. Louis.
On a personal level, Gunner is “holding up,” she said.
“Some days are dark, very, very dark. Some days are a struggle,” she said. “Some days I feel like I can attack the world head-on with no issues or problems. Other days, I just can’t do it.”
This story was originally published May 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Three arrested in shooting death of East St. Louis athlete, but none charged with murder."
