Arrest Made In Hickory Street Shooting Investigation

Press release from the City of Champaign:

Posted on July 1, 2020

On July 1, 2020, at approximately 1:54 p.m., Champaign Police arrested Gofart Whitley, 66, of Champaign, for his alleged involvement in the shooting of a 73-year-old male on June 24. Whitley was arrested without incident at a private residence in the 1500 block of Kiler Drive. He was transported to the Champaign County Correctional Center where he is awaiting future court proceedings.

On June 24, 2020, at approximately 5:40 p.m., Champaign Police responded to the 1100 block of Hickory Street for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, police were notified a 73-year-old male had arrived at a local hospital with a serious gunshot wound to his abdomen.

The investigation revealed the victim was on the north side of Beardsley Park when the suspect fired a single round into his abdomen and then fled the scene.

Although an arrest has been made, this is still an active investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to please contact police at 217-351-4545. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.

Champaign Police reminds citizens that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tips information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers and conversations are not recorded.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This press release was produced by the City of Champaign. The views expressed here are the author’s own.