Willie Lee Matthews Jr.

GRANITE CITY - The Madison County State's Attorney's Office has filed murder charges against a Belleville man for a recent fatal shooting in Granite City.

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Willie Lee Matthews Jr., 19, of the 100 block of Lauren Circle, Belleville, is facing the following charges in Madison County:

CT I-First Degree Murder (Class M)

CT II-First Degree Murder (Class M)

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At 2:45 p.m. Sunday, 11/03/19, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 2600 block of Hodges Ave. in Granite City. When the officers arrived they found that one individual who was shot multiple times and identified as Charles L. Cooper, 23, of 1000 block of Baron Ave., St. Louis.

Cooper was transported to a local St. Louis hospital where after extensive treatment he succumbed to his injuries and later died.

The Granite City Police Department conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and identified Matthews as the suspect in this case before the charges were presented to the Madison County State's Attorney's Office.

The charges were then presented to the Honorable Judge Tognarelli. Judge Tognarelli assigned “No Bond” to the warrant. Matthews was then located and taken into custody without incident. Matthews will be transported to the Madison County Jail later today.

The Granite City Police Department has no further comment.

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