Police ID the ‘armed-and-dangerous’ suspect sought in Granite City officer shooting

A manhunt is underway for the suspect in the shooting of a Granite City police officer Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Illinois State Police identified the suspect as 26-year-old DJ Marshall of Granite City.

“Marshall is considered to be armed and dangerous,” Illinois State Police said in a news release late Friday. “If you see Marshall, do not engage and call 911 immediately.”

A large police presence remains in the 2000 block of Johnson Road, where access has been secured for several blocks. Multiple agencies, including the Illinois State Police and U.S. Marshals, responded to the scene with dozens of vehicles and officers. Officers were going door to door in search of the suspect, according to sources at the scene.

Granite City Police Chief Gary Brooks said officers were called at about 2:19 p.m. Friday to the scene for “an unwanted subject.” When officers arrived, they were immediately fired upon by the suspect, who fled on foot.

“The officers set up a perimeter and there is a search that is currently still ongoing looking for the suspect,” he said during a news conference. “One officer was struck several times and he was transported to a local hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.”

Brooks said he spoke to the injured officer at the hospital and remains “hopeful for a complete recovery.”

State police agents have deployed K-9 police dogs and an aircraft in the search for Marshall.

For safety, students were kept inside Frohardt Elementary School, 2040 Johnson Road, for several hours due to what Granite City School District 9 described in a message to parents as “a disturbance in the area.”

Chris Mitchell, the district’s director of communications and transportation, said the communication was sent around 3 p.m. Frohardt students are typically dismissed at 3:05 p.m. but they were held for their safety until the late afternoon.

Students were released to parents with valid identification and under police supervision in intervals throughout the afternoon. The last student was released at 6:15 p.m., Mitchell said.

The East Alton Police Department posted a message of solidarity with Granite City officers on Facebook shortly after 4 p.m.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters at the Granite City Police Department,” the post reads.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:01 PM.