15-year-old dressed as a clown stabbed a man to death in random attack, police say

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — A teenager accused of dressing as a clown and randomly stabbing a man to death at a bus stop in the St. Louis area has been charged with murder, authorities said.

Video of the 15-year-old suspect showed him dressed in a clown costume, Illinois State Police said.

Police in East St. Louis, Illinois, found the body of 78-year-old John W. Allen of Jennings, Missouri, in a street Monday. Jennings is also in the St. Louis area.

Allen’s relatives told media outlets in St. Louis that he was a Navy veteran, a retired bus driver and an active churchgoer. They believe he was in East St. Louis to visit family members when the attack happened.

State officers quickly identified a suspect and later arrested a 15-year-old boy at a residence, according to Illinois State Police.

The teenager, whose name has not been released, was charged with first-degree murder Thursday. He appeared in juvenile court Thursday and will be detained until at least his next hearing, said Chris Allen, a spokesperson for the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office.

A message seeking comment was left with the county public defender’s office, which represented the teen in court.

The prosecutor’s office is seeking to move the case out of juvenile court so that it can prosecute the teen as an adult.