On August 31, 2023, Billy Chaplin, a 23-year-old resident of Peoria, Illinois, was fatally shot in a violent incident that occurred in the city. The shooting took place in the area of West Antoinette Street and Madison Park Terrace, where police responded to a Shot Spotter alert indicating 25 rounds had been fired around 9:00 A.M..
Chaplin and another male were found injured by gunfire at the scene. Both victims were taken to OSF Healthcare Saint Francis Medical Center, where Chaplin was pronounced dead at 9:43 A.M. due to his injuries. The second victim was reported to be in stable condition.
The incident was part of a series of violent shootings that occurred in Peoria over the preceding days. However, police stated that the shooting on West Antoinette Street was connected to another shooting that occurred later that morning on South Helen Street, where 19-year-old Damar Watts was also killed, but neither of these incidents was linked to a mass shooting the previous night on West Marquette Street that injured six people.
Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria confirmed that the two shootings on Thursday morning were connected and targeted, involving conflicts between specific groups. An arrest was made in connection with these shootings, and vehicles involved were seized. Echevarria emphasized the need for community cooperation and the importance of sharing information to combat the rising violence in the area.
Billy Chaplin, born on August 6, 2000, was a native of Peoria and resided on West Wiswall Street. His funeral service was scheduled to take place on a later date. The deaths of Chaplin and Watts marked the 18th and 19th homicides in Peoria for the year 2023, highlighting a significant surge in gun violence in the city during that period.
