Update at 1 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Authorities have identified the victim of Saturday morning’s fatal shooting in Springfield. The Sangamon County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that Jayvon Bankhead, a 22-year-old resident of Springfield, was the individual who lost his life in the tragic event.
According to Coroner Jim Allmon’s news release, Bankhead was shot in the early hours on Washington Street, around 12:56 a.m. He was subsequently taken to Springfield Memorial Hospital, where medical efforts to save him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at 3:52 a.m.
Preliminary autopsy findings revealed that Bankhead succumbed to a single gunshot wound, further detailed Coroner Allmon.
The investigation into this murder is actively being pursued by both the Springfield Police Department and the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office.
On a related note, the Springfield Police Department announced on Monday afternoon that an arrest has been made in connection with the weekend murder, bringing a glimmer of hope for justice in this tragic case.
A man was pronounced dead early Saturday morning after police found him with a gunshot wound in the 400 block of East Washington Street. In the updated news release, Commander Jarod Maddox said detectives identified 29-year-old Christopher M. Coleman as a suspect in the murder.
“With the assistance of the Proactive Crime Unit and the Street Crimes Unit, detectives were able to locate the suspect in the 800 block of West North Grand Avenue,” Maddox said. “Mr. Coleman was detained without incident.”
Coleman was transported to the Sangamon County Jail initially on charges unrelated to the murder, Maddox said. Inmate records show he was booked for possession and delivery of a controlled substance; he also had an in-state warrant for his arrest on undisclosed charges.
On Monday, Coleman was formally charged with first-degree murder by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney, John Milhiser.
Coleman is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
As for the victim of the shooting, his identity remains unreleased. Jim Allmon, the Sangamon County Coroner, told WCIA that an autopsy was scheduled for Monday, and he will provide both preliminary results and the identity once the autopsy is complete.
