Victim
Charles Whitaker, 38 years old
Resident of Dallas, Texas
At 3:30 am on Feb. 6, Charles Whitaker was pronounced dead as a result of gun shot wounds he received on Monday, Feb. 5, at 1:50 am.
Whitaker and a friend, Reginald Cuington 43 years old from Dallas, were in Peoria for the Super Bowl and while they were walking back to their hotel in the 8400 block of West Paradise Lane a vehicle being driven by an unknown subject pulled up along side of them and an occupant from the vehicle fired several shots hitting both Whitaker and Cuington. Cuington was able to make his way to the Comfort Suites at 8500 W. Paradise Lane where he was treated by paramedics and flown to a Phoenix area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Whitaker was treated at the scene at 8400 W. Paradise Lane by paramedics and taken by ambulance to a valley hospital with life threatening injuries and he died as a result of those injuries at 3:05 am today.
At this time detectives from the Peoria Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit have no suspects or leads and the investigation is continuing. There were two vehicle descriptions given to police by witnesses and Cuington. The first being a white 80s Buick 4-door type vehicle and a black 4-door vehicle similar to a Ford Crown Victoria.
If anyone has information on this incident they are asked to call the Peoria Police Department at 623-773-8311 or Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS.
Additional releases will be made as warranted by the investigation.
The members of the Peoria Police Department would like to pass along their sympathy on the death of Charles to the Whitaker family, their friends and the Dallas Fire Department family.