On 10-25-20 at approximately 1:48 a.m., City of Carbondale Police Officers responded to a complaint of shots fired in the 300 block of E. Walnut St. At this same time, a Jackson County Deputy was driving through the area and witnessed a vehicle fleeing the scene. With the assistance of responding Carbondale Officers, the deputy pursued the suspect vehicle until it came to a stop in the 300 block of East James and Thelma Walker. The Deputy and Carbondale Officers took three suspects into custody. The suspects were identified as Malik L. Wright, 25 of Carbondale and two juvenile males, ages 15 and 16, of Carbondale. The investigation revealed these suspects and other suspects from a different vehicle shot at each other. One of the suspects from the second vehicle, JaJuan E. Smith, 22 years old, of Carbondale, sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound during the incident. Smith was treated and released from Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and arrested for his part in the shooting.
Wright was charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon, Aggravated Fleeing to Elude and several other lesser charges. Both Juveniles in the vehicle with Wright were charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons, Aggravated Discharge of Weapons and Possession of Firearms without a FOID. Smith was charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Aggravated Discharge of a Weapon and Reckless Discharge of a Weapon. All four suspects were incarcerated on their charges. Anyone with information out the incident is encouraged to contact the police department at 618-457-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 618-549-COPS. The investigation into the incident is active and ongoing.
Malik L. Wright, 25, Carbondale
JaJuan E. Smith, 22, Carbondale
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 457-3200. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab located on the main page of this website. Please help yourself, along with your county, its communities and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness, or have any information pertaining to, a crime. Cash rewards for information which leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!