Teen dressed as clown charged with murder of 78-year-old man

A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder after police allege he stabbed a 78-year-old man to death in a random attack in East St. Louis, Ill.

The suspect was allegedly captured in doorbell camera footage dressed as a clown before the stabbing took place.

In a news release, Illinois State Police said special agents arrested the 15-year-old boy for first-degree murder after the stabbing attack left a victim dead.

“On August 3, 2026, shortly after 10 p.m., East St. Louis Police Department (ESLPD) responded to the area of 76th Street and State Street for the report of a body in the roadway. The victim, 78-year-old John W. Allen of Jennings, MO, was waiting at a bus stop when he was stabbed in a random attack by a suspect wearing a clown outfit,” police said.

“ISP PSEG Special Agents arrived on scene, and a juvenile suspect was quickly identified. Special Agents later located the juvenile at a residence and took him into custody. On August 6, 2026, the juvenile was formally charged with First Degree Murder. The suspect remained in custody during the issuance of charges.”

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The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office confirmed to Global News that the 78-year-old victim died of multiple stab wounds.

East St. Louis resident Lora Palmer shared a clip that appeared to show the same suspect dressed as a clown approaching their mother’s front door on Facebook.

In the video, the person whispers, “I’ve been looking for you,” before walking away from the home.

Last October, police in Virginia were investigating doorbell footage of three people wearing Halloween masks while attempting to break into a home.

A Ring security camera showed the mask-wearing trio standing outside of Shayla Whiteside’s mother’s home in Alexandria, Va.

Whiteside told WUSA9 she was at the home with her mother — who was recently widowed — her younger brother and their family dog when the group arrived.

That’s when the masked males made threats toward her and her family, saying they would kill them, while trying to get inside the house.

“Your worst nightmare. Open the f— up,” the suspects yelled after ringing the doorbell. One wore a clown mask, another wore a costume resembling Michael Myers from the Halloween film franchise and the third was dressed as a nun.

“It’s either you coming out or we coming in. Open the door,” one person said in the video, as he tried to open the front door.

It was later revealed in a news conference that the three costumed people were teen boys who were related to the victim.

Alexandria police Chief Tarrik McGuire said that a woman confessed that she, her two sons and her nephew staged the incident. There were also two additional adults reportedly filming the “prank.”