Peoria Standard

Tywahnn K. Tillman, 37, pleaded guilty to Attempt First Degree Murder in connection with a shooting at Big Al’s nightclub in downtown Peoria in October 2023. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on October 23, when police responded to reports of gunfire inside the club and found a bouncer with a gunshot wound.

Investigators used surveillance footage and witness accounts to determine that Tillman had been involved in an altercation with the bouncer and was removed from the club. He then retrieved a firearm from a car outside, re-entered the club, pushed through several people, and shot the bouncer in the head while the victim’s back was turned. The bouncer survived but suffered serious neck injuries, including damage to his C1 and C2 vertebrae. Tillman fled the scene on foot.

Tillman was later arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2024. As part of his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to cap his possible prison sentence at 48 years. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4.

The Peoria County school system reported an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 during the 2022-23 academic year, with more than 27,000 students enrolled and nearly 1,850 full-time faculty members across its schools (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism in Peoria County schools stood at just over 32 percent during that period, slightly below the state average (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Among local schools, Dunlap High School had the highest enrollment of white students; Richwoods High School had the largest number of multiracial students; Lincoln School led in Hispanic student enrollment; and Peoria High School had the most Black students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).