On January 15, 2023, 16-year-old Justyce Broadway-Williams was found in the street in the 1300-block of Perry Street in Des Plaines, Illinois, suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Officers arrived after a neighbor called 911 and the Des Plaines Fire Department’s life-saving efforts were unsuccessful; Justyce was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m., about a quarter mile from the Des Plaines police station.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple shots; one neighbor heard what he at first thought was gunfire from a television show, while another counted six shots and saw a car speed away. Observers described at least three suspects: a white car fleeing the scene and a gold-colored car that stopped to pick up three people who had been standing over the victim. Police say the incident appears isolated and not a threat to the general public, but motive remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing. Neighbors expressed shock given the neighborhood’s lack of known gang activity.

Doorbell camera footage and other evidence are being gathered to identify the suspects. If anyone has information about that night, who was in the area, or saw the described vehicles, please come forward to assist the investigation.