CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A juvenile was arrested early Sunday morning for weapons violations following reports of two armed individuals making threats.

University of Illinois Police officers were dispatched to the 700 block of South Fifth Street, Champaign, at 12:37 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. Officers arrived in less than two minutes.

Once on scene, officers immediately located a juvenile matching the description of one of the suspects. Officers attempted to speak with the juvenile, who fled from officers. The juvenile was apprehended a short time later, and a firearm was located along the path they had taken while fleeing.

Officers continued searching the immediate area but were unable to locate the second suspect, prompting a campuswide Illini-Alert emergency notification to all students, faculty and staff.

Following the on-scene investigation, officers determined that the second suspect was no longer in the area and issued an all-clear notification.

One juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center on preliminary charges of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of an unserialized firearm and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

The recovered firearm was unserialized, meaning it did not bear a unique identification number as required by Illinois law, and is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun.” In addition to the arrest and ongoing search for the outstanding subject, UIPD will continue investigating the source of the firearm and seek to identify any individuals involved in its creation or transfer for potential criminal prosecution. 

Due to the age of the suspects, no further details regarding the investigation will be released.

The investigation is ongoing, and UIPD investigators and Real-Time Information Center analysts are reviewing security camera footage from the area. Police continue to seek evidence or information from witnesses that may help identify and locate the outstanding individual.

UIPD has focused additional security resources on the Green Street area and will continue to do so following the incident and throughout the semester. Police do not believe the incident poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the campus community.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the University of Illinois Police Department at 217-333-1216. Witnesses may remain anonymous by calling Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477 (373-TIPS), visiting 373tips.com or providing information through the P3 Tips mobile app available on iOS and Android. All messages to Crime Stoppers are electronically stripped of identifying information and forwarded to police by an independent third party.

Please note, those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and formal charges may change as cases are adjudicated.