A 15-year-old boy is being charged with first-degree murder after a “random attack” on a man waiting at a bus stop, police said.
A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder after police say he donned a clown costume and stabbed a man in Illinois.
The stabbing happened the night of Aug. 3 just after 10 p.m. local time, according to the Illinois State Police. John W. Allen, 78, was waiting at a bus stop in East St. Louis, an Illinois city bordering St. Louis, Missouri, when police said he was stabbed in a “random attack.”
The suspect was wearing a clown suit, police said. Police identified the suspect as a 15-year-old boy and took him into custody at a home. He was charged with first-degree murder on Aug. 6 and remains in custody, Illinois State Police said.
The suspect wasn’t identified and it wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Police said video of the teen in a clown costume has circulated and asked anyone with footage to submit it to investigators. Neighbors in the area told KSDK that they saw the suspect peering into windows while carrying a knife that evening.
“There is no threat to the public,” Illinois State Police said in a statement after the teen was taken into custody.
According to NBC News, county prosecutors are seeking to try the teen as an adult. USA TODAY has reached out to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office.