On the evening of January 4, 2026, gunfire broke out in a parking lot in the 200 block of North Church Street in Decatur, Illinois, behind Hot Shots Bar and Grill and the Downtown Cafe. When officers arrived just before 9 p.m., Jeremy Z. Dandridge, 35, had sustained gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 23-year-old man was also shot multiple times and taken to the hospital in a private vehicle; his condition and any connection between the two men have not been released.

The Decatur Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case and has collected evidence, surveillance video and witness statements. No arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly identified. Known as JD to family and friends, Dandridge was a husband and father, a graduate of Eisenhower High School, and worked as a CNC machinist at Caterpillar. He hosted a local car show, 217 Whipfest, and ran a YouTube channel called JD Nation 1. His death has been mourned as a major loss to the community.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Decatur Police Department or Crime Stoppers.