ALTON – Two Alton residents accused of recklessly discharging firearms face felony charges in separate cases.
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Jashawn B. McLemore, 19, of Alton, was charged on July 1, 2025 with reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of weapons (both Class 4 felonies).
McLemore allegedly fired a weapon in a reckless manner near the 3300 block of Belle Street in Alton, endangering the bodily safety of nearby residents. His possession of the weapon was unlawful as he had no valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card or Concealed Carry License (CCL) at the time of the offense.
The state’s petition to deny McLemore’s pretrial release from custody states officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired on Belle Street, where “26 shell casings were collected from the area.” Two nearby witnesses then gave authorities their accounts after seeing McLemore firing a weapon outdoors.
“Officers spoke with a witness who advised she heard gunshots, looked out her door and observed the defendant. She was familiar with the defendant and had recently had issues with the defendant. Her vehicle was also struck by gunfire,” the petition states.
“Another witness was at home and heard gunshots. He looked outside and observed a black male wearing a black jacket and black pants firing a gun. The defendant was seen on surveillance moments before the shooting wearing the same clothing as the shooter was wearing.”
In a separate case, Brenden T. Cepaitis, 38, also of Alton, was charged on June 30, 2025 with a Class 3 felony count of felon in possession of a weapon and a Class 4 felony count of reckless discharge of a firearm.
Cepaitis allegedly fired a 9mm pistol in close proximity to an individual on June 7, 2025. His possession of the weapon was unlawful given his 2010 conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Madison County.
The shooting occurred near the Pour Decisions bar in Alton, where officers “located shell casings on the street,” according to the state’s petition to deny Cepaitis’s release from custody.
“Video surveillance showed an altercation inside the bar, in which two males were in an argument and both [were] escorted out,” the petition states. “Bar staff indicated that one of the males went to his vehicle and retrieved a gun. As the female employee was trying to persuade him to leave, he discharged it near the other male in the altercation.”
In a photo lineup, Cepaitis was identified as the shooter by bar staff members. The vehicle involved in the incident was also found to be registered to him.
A report of Cepaitis’s criminal history shows prior felony convictions of felon in possession of a weapon from 2013 and 2017, both filed in the Southern District of Illinois. Among his other prior convictions are battery in 2005 and domestic battery in 2022, both in Madison County.
The Alton Police Department presented the cases against McLemore and Cepaitis, both of whom were ordered remanded to jail until their initial appearances in court.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
