Sixteen-year-old Julissa Mercedes Laslie of Mount Vernon, Illinois, was shot on January 13, 2024, in the 1800 block of Lamar Street and died shortly before 5 p.m. at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. Responding officers had gone to a 911 call where screaming was heard and found Julissa had been shot.

A 16-year-old male was taken into custody at the scene holding a handgun. He was on juvenile parole and had prior arrests for armed violence, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest, armed robbery, and aggravated battery. Investigators detained him on preliminary charges including armed violence/discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, involuntary manslaughter, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under 18; he was later identified as Decoleis Dunn-Harris.

Julissa is survived by her parents, Allen Laslie and Kathleen Hubler, and several siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her family has created a GoFundMe to assist with funeral costs and related expenses. Did anyone in Mount Vernon see or hear anything on Lamar Street that afternoon that could help clarify what happened?