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Man charged with murder after deadly shooting in Granite City

Sean Bennett, 44, was charged with murder, armed robbery and multiple other crimes in connection with the Saturday night killing of Corey Ayers.
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GRANITE CITY, Ill. — A man is facing murder charges after a deadly shooting in Granite City, Illinois, over the weekend.

Sean Bennett, 44, was charged with murder, armed robbery and multiple other crimes in connection with the Saturday night killing of Corey Ayers, a press release from the Granite City Police Department said.

The press release said officers were called to the 2300 block of Edwards St. in Granite City after a caller reported someone had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Ayers suffering from a gunshot wound and located Bennett a short time later.

Ayers was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. 

Bennett was taken into custody and was charged by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office.

In all, he was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery, one count of using a stolen firearm in the commission of an offense, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm. The three first-degree murder charges will be merged into one count as the investigation continues.

Bennett is being held on a $2 million bond at the Granite City Police Department. 

Resources for crime victims:

If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.

Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.

To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/

Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”

To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.

To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html

Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/

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