Illinois teen in clown outfit charged with murder of 78-year-old man

Nation/WorldPublished: Aug. 07, 2026, 3:53 a.m.The 15-year-old teenager dressed as a clown, who is accused of stabbing a 78-year-old man to death, was charged with murder Thursday.Canva Stock ImageThe 15-year-old teenager dressed as a clown, who is accused of stabbing a 78-year-old man to death, was charged with murder Thursday.NBC News reports the prosecutor wants to try him as an adult, Illinois officials said.John Wesley Allen was killed Monday in East St. Louis. He “was waiting at a bus stop when he was stabbed in a random attack by a suspect wearing a clown outfit,” Illinois State Police said.The suspect, who was arrested after the stabbing, was charged Thursday with a count of first-degree murder, state police said in a statement.The teenager had “the intent to kill or do great bodil