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Shannon Musgraves

Gender : Male

Age : 47

Race : Black

Date : 05/24/2024

Location : 200 block of Lakeside Avenue

City : East Alton

County : Madison

State : Illinois

Agency : East Alton Police Department, Madison County Sheriff's Office, SWAT, multiple other LEOs

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Suicide under police duress

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 05/24/2024, Shannon Musgraves, 47, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a nine-hour standoff involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The incident began when East Alton Police responded to a residence on the 200 block of Lakeside Avenue. The Madison County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police, SWAT units, and officers from the Wood River and Alton Police Departments joined the operation. Authorities have not disclosed what prompted their initial response.
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Police allege Musgraves was armed and refused to comply with orders to exit the residence. SWAT teams deployed heavy equipment, including armored vehicles, and used flashbang grenades and tear gas to force compliance. Witnesses reported loud explosions, extensive damage to the property, and disruptions to the neighborhood, including the evacuation of nearby homes.
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Despite these efforts, Musgraves did not surrender. Officers discovered his body inside the home nine hours into the standoff. Critics, including Musgraves’ family, have raised concerns about the aggressive tactics used, arguing that the situation could have been resolved without the use of overwhelming force.
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Law enforcement agencies involved have not disclosed critical details, including the justification for initiating the operation and the escalation of force. The Illinois State Police and Madison County Sheriff's Office are conducting an investigation.
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NUMBER OF CASUALTIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality.
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Last update: 12/05/2024

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/east-alton-swatt-standoff-shannon-musgraves-2024
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/swat-tactics-criticized-east-alton-incident-2024
https://www.ksdk.com/news/local/madison-county-sheriffs-office-investigation-east-alton-standoff
https://patch.com/illinois/southside/east-alton-man-dies-during-swat-standoff