BELLEVILLE, IL (KMOV) — “This guy was just a genuinely well-rounded person. I was just really glad to have met him,” said Matthew Riewski.
Riewski cherishes the time he spent with his friend, Cole Weirciszewski, a 19-year-old who loved ones said overcame cancer and even donated to help others through St. Baldrick’s.
“Somebody who was just a real kind soul who would be there for you, even if nobody else would be there for you,” said Riewski.
Weirciszewski was also taking classes at Southwestern Illinois College, where he made the community college’s dean’s list back in Fall 2015.
Monday, he was shot in the chest at his home on the 100 block of Paulette Drive near Illinois Route 13 and Frank Scott Parkway in unincorporated St. Clair County.
Police told News 4 two friends found Weirciszewski wounded and drove him to Memorial Hospital in Belleville at about 5:15 pm Monday.
Less than 30 minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
“Right now, I can’t speak to a motive I would really be guessing as to what caused this or who was involved,” said St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department Captain Bruce Fleshren.
Capt. Fleshren says the Major Case Squad has 15 detectives working this case, trying to uncover why someone would kill a college student and cancer survivor with a clean record.
“We are looking for anybody that was at the scene, who is an associate or a friend of his that may know who was involved in this incident,” said Capt. Fleshren.
Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department at 618-825-5204
