Just after 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026, multiple reports of shots fired drew officers from the Belleville and Swansea Police Departments to the 1700 block of Jamestown Road in Belleville, Illinois, near the border between the two communities.
The residential street, typically quiet in the late evening, quickly became an active crime scene as responders arrived to a report of gunfire involving several young women. Upon reaching the location, police discovered a grim situation unfolding in the roadway and near a parked vehicle.
In the middle of Jamestown Road, officers found 18-year-old Shenandoah Burton of Swansea lying deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Nearby, two other young women were inside a vehicle, one of whom had also been shot and required immediate medical attention. Emergency medical personnel transported the injured survivor to a hospital, where she received treatment for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The third woman in the group was unharmed physically but part of the traumatic event.
Belleville Police quickly determined the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. One of the women in the vehicle had recently ended a relationship with the male suspect, who arrived at the scene armed and opened fire. Shenandoah Burton, a friend of the ex-girlfriend, became a victim during the confrontation, highlighting the dangers that can extend beyond the primary parties in such volatile situations. The suspect fled the area in a vehicle immediately after the shooting, prompting a multi-agency alert.
As the investigation unfolded overnight, leads directed authorities across state lines into Missouri. Early Sunday morning, the suspect was located in Perry County, Missouri, along Interstate 55. Before deputies could make contact or apprehend him, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, effectively concluding the immediate threat. Belleville Police confirmed no additional suspects were being sought, classifying the incident as a domestic-related homicide followed by suicide.
The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office officially identified Shenandoah Burton and noted she was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on January 18, 2026. The surviving injured woman continues to recover, supported by victim services resources. Investigators from Belleville Police, assisted by regional partners, are reviewing evidence from the Jamestown Road scene and the Missouri location to fully document the sequence of events.