A domestic disturbance in downtown Peoria on the evening of May 8, 2026, ended with the fatal shooting of 42-year-old Ashley N. Stenson. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. near Hamilton and Madison streets, close to the Four Points by Sheraton hotel. Stenson, originally from St. Louis and living in Atlanta, was shot multiple times while reportedly attempting to flee from an estranged partner and was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 7:00 p.m.; the Peoria County Coroner listed multiple gunshot wounds as the cause of death.

The suspect was identified as 41-year-old Cortez White of St. Louis. A responding Peoria police officer exchanged gunfire with White after the shooting; the officer was unharmed, while White sustained multiple gunshot wounds and later died at a local hospital, pronounced just before 8:30 p.m. Several bullets struck the nearby hotel but no other injuries were reported. With the suspect deceased, no arrests or criminal trial will follow. The Illinois State Police is conducting the standard investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Friends and family remember Stenson as hardworking, fun, and deeply devoted to her children and grandchildren. Does anyone have information about Stenson’s movements that evening or witnessed the disturbance near Hamilton and Madison streets?