On August 18, 2023, Anthony Devine LaShawn Parks, a 21-year-old resident of Champaign, Illinois, lost his life due to gun violence. The incident occurred at an apartment in the 800 block of South Mattis Avenue in Champaign. According to the Champaign Police Department, officers were dispatched to the scene at 11:17 p.m. after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found three men with potentially life-threatening injuries, including Parks, who was 21 years old, and two 24-year-old men, one from Champaign and the other from Urbana.
The preliminary investigation indicated that the men were gathered inside the apartment when an altercation took place. During this altercation, a fourth person produced a firearm and opened fire, striking the three victims. The perpetrator then fled the scene, and their whereabouts remain unknown as of the last update.
Parks was rushed to the Carle Foundation Hospital ER in Urbana, where he was pronounced dead at 12:09 a.m. on Friday. The two other victims, both 24 years old, were also hospitalized but remained in stable condition.
The Champaign Police Department continues to investigate the incident, canvassing the surrounding area for witnesses and video footage that may aid in the investigation. They have encouraged residents and businesses with exterior surveillance cameras to come forward with any relevant information. As of the current date, no arrests have been made, and the case remains ongoing. The police are seeking tips from the public, which can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Anthony Parks was born on October 24, 2001, and his funeral was arranged by Leek & Sons Funeral Home in Urbana, Illinois. His death has been memorialized on various platforms, including the National Gun Violence Memorial, where friends and family can light candles in his memory.
