Crime
16-year-old Erion Turner killed in Champaign shooting
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A 16-year-old boy, identified as Erion Turner, was killed and another teenager critically injured following a shooting early Sunday morning in the Garden Hills neighborhood of Champaign.
At approximately 12:01 a.m., officers with the Champaign Police Department responded to reports of a shooting with injuries in the 1500 block of Holly Hill Drive.
Upon arrival, officers discovered two 16-year-old males lying unconscious in the front yard of a residence, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel transported both victims to a local hospital, where Erion Johnson was pronounced dead.
The second victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.
As of Sunday morning, Champaign Police Lieutenant Aaron Lack and several officers continued to canvass the neighborhood for evidence and witnesses.
The department’s Crime Scene Unit remained active at the scene, with their van positioned along Holly Hill Drive.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Witnesses or those with relevant details are encouraged to contact Champaign Police investigators at 217-351-4545. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared discreetly.
To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 217-373-8477 (TIPS), visiting 373tips.com, or using the “P3 Tips” mobile app. Crime Stoppers callers are eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.