Spilt Drink May Have Sparked Fight That Led to Deadly U of I Shooting

An argument, which may have started over a spilled drink at a large party inside an apartment near the University of Illinois campus, moved out into a parking lot and led to shots being fired and a suburban man being killed last weekend, authorities said Wednesday.

George Korchev, 22, of Mundelein, died at a hospital in Champaign shortly after the shooting. His boyhood friend, University of Illinois graduate student Erik Lasaine, 22, of Round Lake, was also shot, according to the Chicago Tribune. Lasaine and two other shooting victims have since been released from the hospital.

Authorities on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Robbie Patton, 18, of Champaign. They say Patton is responsible for firing the shots that killed Korchev. Patton was released from a boot camp program just two weeks prior to the U of I shooting. He was sentenced to boot camp after pleading guilty to a December 2015 shooting at a Steak 'n Shake in Champaign, District Attorney Julia Rietz said at a Wednesday press conference.

Patton is now wanted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the U of I shootings and is considered armed and dangerous. His bond has been set at $5 million.

Details Unfold on Shootings

Authorities on Wednesday also shared more details regarding the events that unfolded prior to the shooting, which they said started with an argument and altercation inside an apartment in the 300 block of East Green Street during the early morning hours of Saturday, said Champaign Police Lt. Dave Shaffer during Wednesday’s press conference.

That argument moved outside to a parking lot on the west side of the apartment.

“A fight, that initially started among a group of females, branched off into smaller altercations throughout the parking lot. One individual who entered the parking lot was attacked by a group of individuals and was beaten into unconsciousness out in the parking lot,” Shaffer said. “This attack is believed to be a precursor to the shooting that occurred”

The gunman fired several shots, which hit four people, including Korchev and Lasaine. Lasaine was hit in the back by a bullet but has since been released from the hospital. He was in attendance at a U of I vigil Tuesday night at the campus and headed back to Lake County Wednesday for Korchev's funeral, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Korchev was visiting the U of I campus when the shooting occurred. It was a celebratory visit; Korchev, who graduated from the College of Lake County and recently passed his Nursing Board Exam, was supposed to start this past Monday as a full-time nurse at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

>>> Mundelein Man Killed in U of I Shooting Was Supposed to Start Nursing Job This Week

Korchev, Lasaine and other friends had just left a party and were in search of a place to eat when the gunshots were fired, according to the Chicago Tribune. Lasaine fled to a nearby residence when he realized he had been shot in the back.

A 22-year-old Champaign man and a 20-year-old Champaign man, also both innocent bystanders, were hit by gunshots near the Green Street parking lot. Both men have since been released from the hospital.

During the shooting, a 19-year-old Round Lake woman was hit by a car while fleeing the scene. She also has been discharged from the hospital.

Just 30 minutes after the shooting on Green Street, police received another report of gunfire in the 700 block of south State Street in Champaign. There, officers found another shooting victim, a 25-year-old Urbana woman. She was taken to an area hospital and has since been released.

“Due to the proximity and timing of the State Street shooting, we could not rule out the possibility that the two shootings may be related,” according to a summary of the Champaign Police Department’s investigation, which was released Wednesday. “However, as the Green Street investigation has progressed, we have found no credible information at this time to confirm the incidents are related.”

• The full investigation summary can be found here

Authorities are still working to determine a motive for the Green Street shooting but do believe the fights that broke out in the parking lot led to the shots being fired, Shaffer said.

A video of the press conference from Wednesday can be viewed below.

Surveillance Video Released

Authorities on Wednesday also released a surveillance video, which shows the parking lot where the fights started. It’s estimated at least 100 people were in the parking lot at the time. Police are looking to talk to anyone who was present as they work to track down others involved in the fights leading up to the shooting.

The 56-second video can be viewed below or on the Champaign Police Department's website.

Anyone who was at the party or who may have witnessed any of the shootings is urged to contact the Champaign Police Investigations Division at police@champaignil.gov or by phone at 217-351-4545.