On July 12, 2023, a tragic shooting occurred in Waukegan, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of two young women, Serenity Childs and Briana Ware Hall. The incident took place in the 2400 block of Washington Street, where officers from the Waukegan Police Department responded to a report of shots fired around 5:06 p.m..
Upon arrival, police found the two victims shot to death in a vehicle in the rear parking lot of a building near Keller. The Lake County Medical Examiner identified the victims as 19-year-old Serenity Childs of North Chicago and 18-year-old Briana Ware Hall of Waukegan. An autopsy performed later confirmed that both women died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation quickly identified Jonathan Stinnette, 18, of Winthrop Harbor, as a suspect in the shooting. According to Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain, Stinnette had a relationship with one of the victims, and the shooting appeared to be domestic-related. Stinnette and a 21-year-old Waukegan resident fled the scene in a black Nissan, heading north towards Winthrop Harbor.
The Kenosha Police Department apprehended both subjects in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at a residence they were known to frequent. Detectives from the Waukegan Police Department traveled to Kenosha to interview Stinnette and the second individual involved. While Stinnette was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and held in the Kenosha County Jail pending extradition to Illinois, the 21-year-old was released pending further investigation.
The crime scene was processed by the Waukegan Police Department Major Crime Scene Unit, where several 9mm spent casings and a 9mm handgun were recovered. The handgun was found shot empty with the gun slide locked to the rear and was sent for further testing. An arrest warrant for Stinnette was obtained with a $5 million bond.
The incident was widely condemned by local officials, including Waukegan Mayor Ann B. Taylor and Illinois State Senator Adriane Johnson, who expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and reiterated their commitment to combating gun violence in the community.
