15-year-old dressed as a clown stabbed a man to death in random attack, police say
Posted August 7, 2026 9:36 am.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — A teenager accused of dressing as a clown and randomly stabbing a man to death at a bus stop in the St. Louis area has been charged with murder, authorities said.
Video of the 15-year-old suspect showed him dressed in a clown costume, Illinois State Police said.
Police in East St. Louis, Illinois, found the body of 78-year-old John W. Allen of Jennings, Missouri, in a street Monday. Jennings is also in the St. Louis area.
State officers quickly identified a suspect and later arrested a 15-year-old boy at a residence, according to Illinois State Police.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, was charged with first-degree murder Thursday.
The suspect has remained in jail since his arrest. The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office said it wants to prosecute the teen as an adult.
The Associated Press
