Coroner identifies two dead after Moline shooting
UPDATE: Giovanni Flores, 17, and Zachery Meincke, 19, both of Moline, have been identified as the two people shot in a fatal incident early Sunday.
Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said Flores had a gunshot wound to the head and Meincke had gunshot wounds to his neck and chest.
Moline Police Criminal Investigation, Illinois State Crime Scene and the Rock Island County Coroner’s Office are investigating.
EARLIER: Two people from Moline are dead after they were found in the basement of a home with gunshot wounds and police need your help, according to a news release from the Moline Police Department.
The department responded to a 911 call about an unknown problem at a residence in the 1800 block of 31st Street in Moline on Sunday around 4:35 a.m. Officers arrived and entered the residence, where they found a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, both of Moline, dead from apparent gunshot wounds in the basement. Police secured the scene and there is an ongoing criminal investigation.
Police had been called to the location earlier in the morning; at about 2:30 a.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint after a caller reported “a large house party and unruly behavior.” Several people left the area before the police arrived and the noise had ended. Police believe this call is related to the homicides that happened at the location later, the release said.
The Moline Police Department Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the incident. Police say this is not a random episode and “witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the events surrounding the incident are crucial to resolving the case.” Detectives are interviewing witnesses and canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and video. Anyone with information regarding this incident should call Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities at (309) 762-9500, use the P3 Tips smartphone app or call the Moline Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (309) 797-0401. Moline Police are asking anyone with video or photo evidence to submit directly to their online Community Portal using the QR code below.
“The tragic events that have unfolded in our community this past weekend are a sobering reminder that we have work to do in helping our young people to turn away from violence,” said Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati. “As a parent, my heart grieves for the losses multiple families and friends feel at this time. As mayor, I stand with our police who are working to deliver justice, and who consistently walk in partnership with community institutions to help our children make the best decisions they can. I call on all of us to reinvest in the work of building up the lives of our youth and our community so we can all live full and productive lives, together.”
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