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.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.