Man arrested, charged in death of Belleville teen shot near skateboard park

An arrest has been made in the death of a teenager who was shot near a Belleville skateboard park in October.

Belleville Police say Jalyn A. Givens, 19, was taken into custody Thursday with the help of U.S. Marshals Service agents in Dellwood, Missouri.

Givens initially was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the shooting, but that was upgraded to first-degree murder after his alleged victim, Hayden Chisholm, 16, died Dec. 28 in the trauma intensive-care unit of St. Louis University Hospital.

As of Thursday afternoon, Givens was being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri, as he awaited extradition to Illinois.

Chisholm, a student at Belleville East High School, was shot eight times just before 7 p.m. on Oct. 5, according to Carrie Gonzalez, 45, longtime partner of his father. It happened on North Second Street near Belleville Skateboard Park.

“(Hayden had) been fighting for his life for three months,” Gonzalez said the day he died.

Gonzalez said Chisholm was defending a friend against two other teens, who were trying to steal his backpack, which apparently contained marijuana. The friend, also 16, survived the alleged attack.

“He died over weed,” Gonzalez said. “He died over something you can pretty much get anywhere these days. He died protecting a friend, and it has devastated so many lives.”

Belleville police told the family that the two suspects included a 17-year-old in addition to Givens, who lives in Cahokia Heights.

Police responded to a 911 call at 6:51 p.m. Oct. 5 and found a 16-year-old male lying in the road in the 900 block of North Second Street with multiple gunshot wounds, Capt. Todd Keilbach reported at the time.

Officers provided first aid to Chisholm before an ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital.

“The initial investigation suggests that the victim was involved in an altercation over narcotics with two other male suspects just before the shooting,” Keilbach had said.

Witnesses reportedly told police that the two suspects, described as young Black males wearing black clothing, fled toward West H Street, one on foot and the other on a bicycle.

Gonzalez described Chisholm as an active teen who played volleyball at Central Junior High School and football his freshman year at Belleville East and loved other outdoor sports.

“He was a class clown,” she said. “He was very kindhearted, loving, compassionate. He loved animals (including several Siberian huskies in the family).”

A GoFundMe campaign had been set up to help with Chisholm’s medical care and rehabilitation. The family now plans to use the money for funeral arrangements, which are pending. People can donate on the GoFundMe page.

This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 3:50 PM.