EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) -
A deadly case of teenage violence on Halloween night left two families hurting in East St. Louis, for far different reasons. Both the shooting victim and his accused killer were just 15 years old. Rashud Wilson, a sophomore at East St. Louis high school was hanging out with friends at 45th and Audubon, near his cousins' home. Witnesses said gunfire erupted just after 9:00 p.m.
"I turn around, I hear gunshots. I see Rashud falling to the ground," said Wilson's cousin, Zachary Gossett. "The kid that shot him was one of their friends; a kid that hangs with them every day. It's ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense at all."
"It was senseless. That's my oldest child," said Wilson's mother, Candice Weaver. "Now the only thing is that there's not going to be any 'him' no more."
Weaver said she'd been told the shooting might have been an accident. Other witnesses told Fox 2, it was far from that. They said the gunman, a friend of Wilson's, fired at Wilson and missed multiple times during an argument, before finally hitting Wilson with the fatal shot.
"You've got a majority of these guys out here who want to be 'top dog'," said Wilson's cousin, Damion Lawson. "Their way of showing that is by being quick to pick up a gun ... anyone can shoot a gun. My 7 year old daughter can shoot a gun. Anyone can shoot a gun. But it takes a real man to sit there and fight it out."
"I really just hate that his life has been shortened," Wilson's mother said. "He didn't get the chance to finish school and grow up to see what else was out here in life for him."
"He's gone. I ain't ever seeing him again. 15 years old man," Lawson said, walking away in tears.
East St. Louis police said they had the accused killer in custody. They'd also arrested his mother, for allegedly trying to hide the young man. Police did not release their identities. Formal charges had yet to be filed Sunday.
"I turn around, I hear gunshots. I see Rashud falling to the ground," said Wilson's cousin, Zachary Gossett. "The kid that shot him was one of their friends; a kid that hangs with them every day. It's ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense at all."
"It was senseless. That's my oldest child," said Wilson's mother, Candice Weaver. "Now the only thing is that there's not going to be any 'him' no more."
Weaver said she'd been told the shooting might have been an accident. Other witnesses told Fox 2, it was far from that. They said the gunman, a friend of Wilson's, fired at Wilson and missed multiple times during an argument, before finally hitting Wilson with the fatal shot.
"You've got a majority of these guys out here who want to be 'top dog'," said Wilson's cousin, Damion Lawson. "Their way of showing that is by being quick to pick up a gun ... anyone can shoot a gun. My 7 year old daughter can shoot a gun. Anyone can shoot a gun. But it takes a real man to sit there and fight it out."
"I really just hate that his life has been shortened," Wilson's mother said. "He didn't get the chance to finish school and grow up to see what else was out here in life for him."
"He's gone. I ain't ever seeing him again. 15 years old man," Lawson said, walking away in tears.
East St. Louis police said they had the accused killer in custody. They'd also arrested his mother, for allegedly trying to hide the young man. Police did not release their identities. Formal charges had yet to be filed Sunday.
