Shots fired near Peoria County Courthouse, sheriff says

PEORIA — Gunshots were fired near the Peoria County Courthouse in Downtown Peoria on Wednesday morning around 9:35 a.m.

The shots were fired on Hamilton Street near the intersection with Jefferson Street, Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said.

A suspect immediately fled the area in a vehicle, he added. Peoria police are leading the investigation with assistance from the Peoria County Sheriff's Department, Watkins said.

Watkins told the Journal Star that the courthouse did go on lockdown following the shooting, with no one allowed in or out.