PEORIA COUNTY, Illinois — A multi-scene tragedy in the Royal Oaks Estates neighborhood claimed the lives of a woman

PEORIA COUNTY, Illinois — A multi-scene tragedy in the Royal Oaks Estates neighborhood claimed the lives of a woman, identified by community members as Heaven Wood, and a young child on Friday morning, September 25, 2026. At approximately 6:09 a.m., Peoria County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 3500 block of Yorkshire near Abby Circle following reports of a vehicle fire.

Concurrent emergency responses led deputies to a residence at 3511 Yorkshire, where they located Wood suffering from a severe gunshot wound. Emergency medical technicians transported her to a nearby hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Two other children were found unharmed inside the residence. Following the suppression of the vehicle fire nearby, firefighters discovered the body of a young child—identified by community members as Wood's son, King—inside the burned wreckage.

Official Status, Arrest, and Investigation

The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Peoria Police Department, launched a major crime investigation into the shooting, vehicle crash, and fire. At approximately 12:05 p.m., law enforcement officers located and apprehended 24-year-old Jeremiah Duncan near Molleck Drive and Oak Crest Drive in The Lex. Duncan sustained injuries during the apprehension and was transported via ambulance to a hospital for medical evaluation while in police custody.

Authorities have not formally announced specific criminal charges against Duncan as investigators, forensic specialists, and the Peoria County Coroner's Office work to establish the exact cause of death for the child and the full sequence of events leading up to the vehicle fire and fatal shooting.

Community Tributes and Family Support

The violent incident has left the Royal Oaks Estates community and the broader Peoria area in deep mourning. Neighborhood residents and extended family members have rallied to support the two surviving children who were rescued unharmed from the Yorkshire home. Memorial arrangements, public tributes, and family assistance funds will be announced as official details are finalized by the victims' family.