On the evening of September 26, 2020, 28-year-old Donald "Donnie" Eugene Allen III, a white male from Peoria, Illinois, was shot in the head during an altercation in the 1500 block of South Faraday Avenue. He was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries the following morning, marking Peoria's ninth homicide of 2020.
Donnie was a union roofer who enjoyed fishing and riding dirt bikes. He was a devoted father to his children: Kynsleigh Lynn, Kamilah Jean, Kaliyah Sue, and Terreon Armond. He took pride in his South Peoria roots and was known for living life to the fullest.
In the aftermath of the incident, 17-year-old Ladarrius D. Mason, a Black male, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 17 years in prison. The court proceedings revealed that Mason and Allen had engaged in a physical confrontation that escalated, leading Mason to shoot Allen. Mason believed he needed to use deadly force, but this belief was deemed unreasonable, resulting in the second-degree murder conviction.
Donnie is survived by his parents, Pamela and Donald Allen Jr.; his sister, Nicole Allen; his grandparents, Georgana and Ralph Rindfleisch; his nieces, Kyleigh and Micayla; his girlfriend, Sheay Bowen; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. A memorial service was held on October 3, 2020, at Dan's Tow Bar in Peoria to honor his memory.
