On Sunday afternoon, June 21, 2026, 20-year-old Tristyn August was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Circle K on East State Street in Rockford, Illinois. First responders found him inside a vehicle at about 4:45 p.m.; he was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering a fatal gunshot wound.

Police identified a 15-year-old male as a suspect; his name has not been released because he is a juvenile. The teenager voluntarily surrendered to the Rockford Police Department the Wednesday after the shooting and was charged with first-degree murder. He has been taken to a juvenile detention facility. Authorities have not disclosed a motive or the circumstances that led to the shooting.

Family and friends held a candlelight vigil for August, who is described as a kind and vibrant young man. Does anyone who knew Tristyn or who was near East State Street that afternoon have information that could help fill in what happened?