Double-homicide investigation underway in Madison County; man shot after police chase
This story has been updated with information from Illinois State Police.
A man wanted in connection with a double homicide in Collinsville was shot after he pointed a gun at a state trooper following a police chase that ended in Christian County on Saturday afternoon, Illinois State Police said.
Two women had been found dead outside a home in the 1000 block of McDonough Lake Road on Saturday morning in Collinsville and authorities said a suspect had been taken into custody, according to reports by St. Louis television stations.
The names of the women were not released.
Illinois State Police said the man shot in Christian County suffered serious, life-threatening injuries. His name was not released.
Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said the man was taken to a Springfield hospital.
The trooper who fired a “duty weapon in the direction of the suspect” has 26 years of experience with the Illinois State Police, according to a state police news release. The trooper’s name was not released.
The Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation is handling the investigation of the trooper-involved shooting, according to the news release.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the suspect’s vehicle was spotted by local law enforcement near Hillsboro. A pursuit ensued after officers attempted a traffic stop and state troopers joined the chase, ISP said.
The chase crossed Illinois 16 and then went north on U.S. 51.
“After becoming partially disabled, the suspect vehicle” came to a stop on U.S. 51 just north of Pana in Christian County at about 1:53 p.m., state police said.
“The driver of the suspect vehicle exited and pointed a firearm in the direction of an ISP Trooper,” the news release stated, and the trooper fired at the suspect. Law enforcement officers were not injured in this incident.
Pana is about 44 miles southeast of Springfield.
Neither Madison County Sheriff John Lakin nor Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn could be reached for comment on Saturday about the double homicide.
Madison County authorities were expected to convene a news conference on Sunday at the sheriff’s office, according to KSDK-Channel 5. Officials have not released information about how the women died and their relationship with the man who was shot in Christian County.
This story was originally published April 2, 2022 at 7:56 PM.
