On the night of Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 23-year-old Marnelius Alexander was shot and killed in Peoria. At about 10:57 p.m., a ShotSpotter alert led officers to the 1000 block of Western Avenue; Alexander was found at a nearby gas station with a single gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:45 p.m. An autopsy later confirmed the chest wound as the cause of death and indicated he likely died instantly.

Investigators also found a 19-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the leg outside a nearby auto parts store; his injuries were non-life-threatening and he was taken to hospital. As of the initial reports no arrests had been made. The Peoria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, Crime Scene Unit, and Patrol Division are handling the investigation and have asked anyone with information to contact the department or Crime Stoppers.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or was in the area that evening, can you share what you saw or heard?