Dear campus community member:

We would like to provide you with an update regarding the Champaign Police Department’s investigation into a shooting which occurred early in the morning on Sept. 25 in the 300 block of East Green Street. Today, local law enforcement agencies announced they are looking for Robbie M. Patton, 18, of Champaign, who is wanted for murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with Sunday’s incident.

You can follow this link for more information and ongoing updates from the Champaign Police Department: http://bit.ly/2d4lDN6. We will continue to issue updates via email when there are significant developments.

The Champaign Police Department is also asking anyone who was in the immediate vicinity of the incident on Sunday morning to contact detectives at police@champaignil.gov or 217-351-4545. Witness observations, cellphone video or any other information may be valuable to the ongoing investigation.

Our thoughts remain with Mr. Korchev’s family and friends, the other victims of the shooting and many others who have been affected directly or indirectly by this tragedy. We have a large community and a big campus, but it is a community that addresses challenges together. We truly have a tight-knit Illinois family. It is important that we support each other, help each other heal and make it loud and clear that we do not tolerate this kind of violence in our community. That was evident at last night’s student-led vigil. Between the words of the speakers and the unity I observed, I was personally moved and thank everyone who participated in person or in spirit.

I am also thankful for the intense partnerships we have in our community. Through initiatives like the Champaign Community Coalition, as well as our work with neighboring law enforcement agencies through the Street Crimes Task Force, and through the C-U Fresh Start initiative which addresses the social issues associated with violence, I am confident we have prevented similar incidents of gun violence. I do not want to lose focus on these initiatives, because I think it is through this kind of community-oriented work that we can continue to make progress.

The safety and support of our community is a responsibility that everyone must be willing to take on. Thank you for stepping up and fulfilling that role.

Sincerely,

Jeff Christensen

Chief of Police

University of Illinois Police Department