East St. Louis man charged with first-degree murder after turning himself in to police

A 42-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the July 5 shooting death of an East St. Louis man, police said Friday.

Cermen L. Toney, of North 89th Street, East St. Louis, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail, with bond set at $1 million, according to police. He is accused of shooting Lonnie Johnson.

East St. Louis police officers and Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group agents responded to a 1:38 a.m. report of a shooting in the 1400 block of Gaty Avenue, according to a news release from the state police.

They found Johnson, who was transported to St. Louis University Hospital. Johnson was pronounced dead at 2:31 a.m. in the emergency room, said Tara Rick, spokesperson for the St. Louis Medical Examiner’s Office.

Toney later turned himself in, the release states. An investigation led to the first-degree murder charge.

This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 3:25 PM.