PEORIA, Ill. – Family and friends are remembering Mikequese Taylor after he became the victim in Peoria’s 5th homicide of 2024 earlier this week.
Taylor, 18, was home from junior college in Kansas, visiting his two-month-old son, when he was reportedly shot in a driveway Tuesday night near Knoxville and Forrest Hill. He later died shortly after arriving at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
Police have yet to identify publicly any suspects.
Taylor’s former basketball coach at Peoria High School, Ryan McElmurry, tells 25 News Taylor was a role model in the city.
“The kids looked up to “Quese” because they could see themselves in him. He was relentless, he was tough, and they came from the same areas he did. So yes, the youth in Peoria absolutely looked up to Mikequese and used him as a model to get out of this place,” McElmurry said.
Taylor was part of the Kansas City Kansas Community College Blue Devil basketball team this past season, pursuing a liberal arts degree. Taylor was in the process of finishing the Spring 2024 semester and had enrolled for the Fall 2024 semester.
He was a contributing member of a Blue Devil team that went 22-10, playing in 31 games, and won the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division II regular season title.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our beloved brother, teammate, and friend, Mikequese.” said Brandon Burgette, KCKCC Head Men’s Basketball Coach. “His competitive spirit, contagious laugh and sense of humor will be deeply missed. He was a true teammate we could always count on every day. His presence will forever be felt within our organization. Rest in peace.”
Taylor’s cousin, Dekwon Brown, was set to join him in Kansas and play college basketball, saying Taylor motivated him to play. He plans to honor Taylor by wearing his number 10 next season.
Brown wants people to honor his cousin locally by stopping the violence.
“I just want the violence to stop. No payback should happen, no remorse should go to those who did it. Just stop the violence,” Brown said.
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