Centralia Police have arrested 18-year-old Kaemarius Parks of Centralia in connection with a May 18th shooting of two people on a Carbondale street.
A Jackson County arrest warrant had been issued for Parks charging attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Centralia Police Lieutenant Steve Whritenour says Parks came out of the home where he had been staying in the 1000 block of Saddler Street and was arrested without incident after initially retreating into the home about 40 minutes earlier when police originally came to the door.
Whritenour says the residence is owned by the Marion County Housing Authority and they were already conducting a detail with the housing authority when they received a tip from Carbondale Police on where Parks may be located. He reports Parks had opened the door when police knocked, but left the front door open and went into the home when seeing police. Another occupant gave police permission to come inside and get Parks.
However, Whritenour reports because they feared Parks may be armed, they didn’t immediately enter and waited for additional manpower from the Marion and Clinton County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police. At the time the high-risk team was being assembled, Parks walked out of the home unarmed and was taken into custody without incident.
Police later found a gun stolen from St. Louis in the home. It matched the description of the one used in the Carbondale shooting. No other weapon was found in the residence. The weapon will now be sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for further analysis.
Carbondale Police say the shooting in Carbondale occurred in the 700 block of South Lewis Street just before seven am on May 18th. Both of the shooting victims were taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale for treatment. One of the victims was treated and released while the other was admitted.
Whritenour is commending the Patrol Division on an excellent job in handling the situation.
