On June 26, 2023, 14-year-old Omarius Devon Gates was shot and killed in Peoria, Illinois, near the intersection of Richwoods Boulevard and Molleck Drive. Police responded to a report of a shooting around 10 p.m., and Gates, born December 17, 2008, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say 23-year-old Tramier Pate attempted to rob Gates of what Pate believed was a real gun; the firearm in Gates’ possession was actually a toy designed to look real. During the robbery Pate’s gun discharged, fatally wounding Gates. Pate was arrested the following day and charged with first-degree murder and attempted robbery, and made an initial court appearance the Wednesday after the shooting; a bond hearing was scheduled for the next week and court records show he was seeking private counsel. Peoria County’s State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos identified this as Peoria’s tenth homicide of the year.

Was anyone in the Richwoods Boulevard or Molleck Drive area that night able to see or hear what happened?