PEORIA, Ill. – A violent chain of events in Peoria early Saturday morning has left two men dead and others hospitalized.
Around 2:45 a.m., police near the 1400 block of Southwest Jefferson heard gunfire and spotted a vehicle taking off. Moments later, ShotSpotter alerts confirmed 20 rounds had been fired in that area.
When help arrived, they found 26-year-old Malik Pickett with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
The situation escalated quickly as that same suspect vehicle sped away, hitting a pedestrian near Western and Howett. That man—52-year-old Gary L. Traylor—died right there at the scene.
Autopsies for both Pickett and Traylor are expected to be completed on Monday.
The car eventually smashed into a utility pole. The two men inside the vehicle were taken to the hospital—one is in critical condition, the other is in serious condition. Police did recover a firearm from that vehicle.
Another man arrived at a local hospital on his own with a gunshot wound to the leg from that same Jefferson Street location, but he is expected to be okay.
If you know anything about what happened early Saturday morning, police need to hear from you. You can call the Peoria Police Department or Crime Stoppers. Tips can be made anonymously.
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