(PEORIA, IL) On Sunday, June 9, 2024, at approximately 6:52 p.m. Peoria Police responded to the 900 block of W. Hanssler on a Shot Spotter alert of 7 rounds fired.
Minutes later there was a Shot Spotter alert of 22 rounds fired, followed by another alert of 4 rounds fired in the same location. No one was injured.
On
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at approximately 5:10 p.m. members of the Peoria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) observed a vehicle connected to the previous shooting incident in the 1800 block of W. Kingsway.
Detectives observed two males walk to the vehicle. Detectives then surrounded the vehicle and placed the two males, identified as 19-year-old Christopher D. Polnitz-Cleary and 18-year-old Camarion A. Puryear, into custody.
During a search of the vehicle, police located a loaded 9mm handgun and a polymer “ghost” handgun with an extended magazine inside.
Both males were transported to the Peoria Police Department for interviewing purposes.
Polnitz-Cleary was subsequently arrested for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Possession of a Firearm without a Valid FOID Card, and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun Under 21. Polnitz-Cleary was also arrested for Aggravated Discharge and Aggravated Unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the shots fired on W. Hanssler.
Puryear was arrested for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Possession of a Firearm without a Valid FOID Card, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun Under 21, and Possession of an Unserialized Firearm.
Both males were transported to the Peoria County Jail.
If you have any information regarding any violent crimes, please contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, tip411 (anonymously), or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at (309) 673-9000.
**All suspects and arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. **