Rodger Browder, a 21-year-old African American man from Peoria, Illinois, was shot and killed on May 21, 2022. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 12:30 p.m. and found Browder unresponsive in a parked vehicle on the 1500 block of North Bigelow Street, near Richmond Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 1 p.m., recorded as Peoria’s ninth homicide of 2022.

Investigators identified 34-year-old Stephen J. Coaxum as a suspect. Coaxum was arrested on June 22, 2022, and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon; a search warrant executed near Lavalle Court and Marengo Drive reportedly recovered several firearms. Coaxum pleaded not guilty; bond was set at $2 million and a trial was scheduled to begin October 3, 2022. The investigation remains active and authorities are seeking tips.

If anyone has information about Browder’s death or the events on May 21, 2022, please come forward to the Peoria Police.