Springfield high school student who was shot and killed is identified

The Southeast High School student shot and killed Wednesday morning across from Dreamland Park on Taylor Avenue was identified by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon as Keyon Day of Springfield.

Following Thursday's autopsy, Allmon said preliminary findings showed Day died from "multiple gunshot wounds in the lower part of the torso."

Deputy Chief Sara Pickford of the Springfield Police Department said late Wednesday afternoon that the shooting didn't appear to be random.

More: 16-year-old high school student shot, killed in Springfield

Multiple witnesses deemed to be "persons of interest" in the case were being interviewed Wednesday, Pickford added.

Police had served warrants at numerous locations, she said.

Witnesses told police they saw vehicles after the shooting being driven at high rates of speed and being driven eratically.

Vehicles matching the descriptions were later found unoccupied by police.

SPD officers were dispatched to the scene just after 8:40 a.m. after a call about the shooting came into the department. It was also detected on ShotSpotter.

Day was walking northbound on Taylor, in the direction of the high school.

After first responders tried to resuscitate Day, a sophomore at Southeast, at the scene, he was rushed to surgery at HSHS St. John's Hospital. There he was pronounced dead at 9:48 a.m.

Southeast and Ball Charter School, on opposite sides of Taylor and Ash, both went on soft lockdown around the time of the incident.

A memorial bouquet was placed at Dreamland Park, across from where he was shot, along with a football inscribed "Rest easy Keyon."

On social media, Southeast students, staff and alumni were encouraged Thursday to wear blue and gold, the school's colors.

All School District 186 extracurricular activities and athletic events scheduled for Thursday were proceeding, said Rachel Dyas, a spokeswoman for the district.

The district's Crisis Response Team was supporting students and staff at Southeast for the remainder of the week, Dyas said.

The district will have extra patrols and security at Southeast and in the vicinity of Ball Charter and Southeast "for as long as needed," Dyas added.

Pickford said the public also can expect to see an increased visibility at Lanphier and Springfield high schools.

A letter from the Springfield Education Association executive committee to union members Thursday said "safe schools for every child must be our priority."

SEA was further "committed to working with anyone, any group or stakeholder to reduce and ultimately eliminate violence in our community. ... However, it is our actions that will be the judge of our commitment to bring an end to violence in our schools and our community.

"This is not an east side problem or a north side problem or a west side problem. This a problem that affects the entire community. Let us work together as one community."

This story will be updated.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, [email protected], twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield teen fatally shot identified as Keyon Day