Montavion Conrad, 20, was shot and killed on the afternoon of Sunday, March 15, 2026, in the parking lot of a Belleville shopping center in the 5800 block of Belleville Crossing. Conrad, who worked at the Qdoba in that strip mall, was found with a gunshot wound and taken to Belleville Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m.

Witnesses gave police a vehicle description; officers located the car and a pursuit ended when it crashed in the 6600 block of Old St. Louis Road. Two people fled on foot but were captured after a perimeter was established. Authorities say the shooting was not random: the suspect and Conrad knew each other, and the conflict was linked to past relationship issues. Reports say the suspect went to pick up food with a female juvenile from Collinsville, an argument began after Conrad was recognized, and when Conrad advanced as if a fight was imminent the suspect produced a handgun and shot him. The investigation remains active.

Did anyone in the Belleville area see the confrontation or know more about Conrad’s recent interactions with the suspect?