Peoria Man Charged With Murder After Nightclub Shooting and Fatal Car Crash Killed Two Men
A 20-year-old Peoria man has been charged with first-degree murder and reckless homicide after a shooting outside a nightclub and a 90-mph crash that killed two men over the weekend.
PEORIA, Ill. — Prosecutors have charged a 20-year-old Peoria man with first-degree murder and reckless homicide after a deadly weekend that began with a shooting outside a nightclub and ended with a high-speed crash that killed a pedestrian.
Karon Hopkins, 20, was charged on Thursday in connection with the deaths of two men. He was held without bond after prosecutors successfully argued for his detention at a hearing held by the Peoria County State's Attorney's office.
According to police, the incident began at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 22. Peoria Police officers were in the vicinity of Vibes nightclub when they heard shots fired. As they approached, officers spotted a white sedan speeding away from the area.
The sedan fled through a residential neighborhood at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. The vehicle struck and killed Gary L. Traylor, 52, a pedestrian who was walking across the street at the intersection of Howett Street and Western Avenue. The car then crashed into a utility pole on Western Avenue.
Officers also recovered two firearms from the wrecked sedan that matched shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.
At the nightclub, officers found Malik Pickett, 26, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. He had been shot more than 10 times, according to police.
During Hopkins's detention hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Terry Muench played surveillance footage of both incidents. The video showed a white sedan pulling abruptly into the road outside the nightclub, where a group of people were gathered. A man later identified as Hopkins exited the vehicle and ran toward Pickett, firing his gun multiple times. The footage showed Hopkins standing over Pickett and continuing to shoot him even after he fell to the ground.
Hopkins then returned to the sedan and sped off. The fleeing vehicle ran a red light at Western Avenue, where it struck Traylor. The sedan was traveling at such high speed that it severed Traylor's body, according to the State's Attorney's office.
Dorrean Ellis, 18, was a passenger in the sedan at the time of the crash. He remains hospitalized.
The investigation is ongoing, and the State's Attorney's office said more charges are expected.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521.