Prom party shooting suspect arrested in connection to death of Peoria High basketball star

Mike Kramer, Peoria Journal Star
·2 min read
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An 18-year-old male was arrested Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of former Peoria High School basketball player MikeQuese Taylor.

Officers responded to the Peoria County Jail on Thursday and arrested Korion B. Hopkins on the preliminary charge of first-degree murder, according to the Peoria Police Department. He is the second person arrested in connection with the case.

Hopkins, already in custody for previous weapons charges, on Wednesday was charged by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department in connection with a shooting at an after-prom party in Chillicothe in late April. His charges included aggravated assault with a firearm and no FOID card.

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Taylor's shooting occurred about 7:21 p.m. on April 30, when a Peoria police officer patrolling the 100 block of E. Forrest Hill Avenue heard shots being fired. Seconds later, a Shot Spotter alert of three rounds fired was activated. When officers arrived, they located Taylor with an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Members of the Peoria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID), Special Investigations Division (SID) Crime Scene Unit (CSU), and Patrol Unit responded to the scene and initiated an investigation that eventually led to the May 14 arrest of Messiah Z. Carpenter, 20, for first-degree murder.

In May, judge Mark Gilles ruled that Carpenter would not be released from jail and took into consideration the ongoing feud between two groups called the Snakes and Jumpout Boys. The judge said he felt Carpenter's release could lead to further violence and retaliation.

Gilles said in court that it appeared Carpenter had engaged in a "clearly planned murder of another human being." The judge then decried the type of "retaliatory gun violence which is plaguing this city, state, country and world."

The investigation is ongoing.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Mikequese Taylor death: Peoria man arrested for murder of basketball star