Two people were killed early Thursday morning in a shooting at a home near the Pekin Municipal Airport, according to the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities identified the suspect as Memphis Rue, who was taken into custody at the scene.
Sheriff Jeffrey Lower said deputies responded to a call about gunfire just after 4:30 a.m. in the area off South Illinois Route 29 in South Pekin. Officers arrived around 6 a.m. and found two victims deceased at the residence. The Tazewell County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Chase Rhodes of Pekin and Dawson Reese of rural Pekin, both 21 years old.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that Rue, 21, was apprehended without incident. No information has been released regarding a possible motive or the relationship between Rue and the victims. The incident remains under investigation, and authorities said more details would be provided as the case develops.
Residents in the quiet South Pekin neighborhood expressed shock at the violence. “This is usually a peaceful area,” said one neighbor who declined to be identified. “It’s heartbreaking to hear something like this happened so close to home.”
The Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact their office as investigators continue to gather evidence. Rue has been charged with First Degree Murder.
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