On September 30, 2021, 17-year-old Jonathon McPhearson of Champaign, Illinois, was shot and killed while sitting alongside Kirby Avenue near the International Prep Academy. Multiple masked suspects approached him and another person and opened fire; Jonathon suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the torso and was pronounced dead at the scene around 6:30 p.m. The other person present was not injured.

Police have described the killing as a targeted attack rather than a random act. The Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force recovered 16 guns in the week after the shooting, but no arrests have been announced and the suspects remain unidentified. Jonathon, a student at Centennial High School, was remembered by friends and family as upbeat and humorous, and a memorial has grown near the scene. The school district has moved to consider more permanent metal detectors following the killing.

Does anyone have information that could help investigators or who knew Jonathon and wants to share memories?