Sammie Tyrone McClinton, a 45-year-old Black man, was killed in a shooting in Springfield, Illinois, on the morning of July 25, 2024. Around 11 a.m., Springfield police officers responded to ShotSpotter alerts and calls about shots fired in the 700 block of North Fifth Street. There, they found Mr. McClinton with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed by emergency medical services to HSHS St. John's Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, officially identified him as the victim.
The investigation moved quickly, and police made an arrest less than two hours after the shooting. Officers took Shelton A. Woolridge, 27, into custody in the 2700 block of South MacArthur Boulevard. During the arrest, detectives reported recovering the firearm used in the homicide. The investigation continued, and on August 29, 2024, authorities arrested a second suspect, 21-year-old Keundra T.
Daniels.
Prosecutors filed multiple charges against both men. Woolridge was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Daniels was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery with a firearm. In court, Woolridge pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Sammie McClinton was born in Belzoni, Mississippi, on November 19, 1978, to Rosie McClinton Peterson and Sammie Jones. His family held funeral services for him on August 9, 2024. As of February 2025, the cases against both Shelton A. Woolridge and Keundra T. Daniels were ongoing, with future court dates pending for each.
