PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood announced Wednesday that 15-year-old Merian L. Smith has died as a result of a shooting on Monday.
On Monday, Nov. 7 at approximately 3:30 p.m., Peoria Police responded to the 500 block of W. Gift regarding three separate Shot Spotter alerts totaling 21 rounds fired. They located two male juvenile victims with gunshot wounds. One male’s injuries were non-life-threatening but Smith was transported to OSF St. Francis in critical condition.
Smith was pronounced brain dead just after 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“Child deaths are difficult, but when a child dies because of gun violence, it is even more heartbreaking,” wrote Harwood. “I am saddened by this event, for him, and his grieving family.”
An autopsy on Smith will be performed after organ donation later this week.
There is no suspect information. This incident remains under investigation by the Peoria Police Department. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Detective Beck at (309) 494-8480, tip411 (anonymously), or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at (309) 673-9000.
