A 19-year-old Illinois resident is facing charges of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting a 16-year-old boy 25 times in broad daylight near a playground, with several children in the vicinity. The incident reportedly occurred after a local child complained about older boys confiscating toy weapons from younger children and using them to playfully shoot at the kids.
The accused, Jaquan Blalock, was 17 at the time of the incident in May 2023. He is alleged to have used a firearm equipped with a switch and an extended magazine to kill Antoine Shropshire, following a disagreement over the confiscation of Orbeez guns. These toys, which shoot gel balls, can sometimes resemble real firearms.
According to charging documents obtained by a local news outlet, The Herald-News, the dispute over the Orbeez guns is what led Blalock to the park that day, armed with his pistol. The prosecutors’ court petition, filed on April 14, states that older boys were taking the Orbeez guns from the younger children and using them to playfully shoot at the kids.
Blalock is alleged to have attacked Shropshire in broad daylight near a park, with numerous adults and children present. He reportedly shot the teenager 25 times, with another individual also involved in the shooting.
Surveillance footage from the area shows Blalock standing over Shropshire, who was on the ground and dying, before he allegedly emptied his gun into him. The other suspect is believed to have fired his gun at others in the vicinity.
Following his arrest, Blalock was detained at the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet, where he is said to have assaulted another inmate. Prosecutors claim that Blalock made a statement about the incident, describing it as inevitable due to gang-related issues.
Blalock’s legal team has filed a motion for pretrial release. The judge presiding over the case in Will County is expected to deliver a ruling on April 22.