Two brothers are facing attempted murder and hate crime charges after an Illinois alderman and two of his friends say they were attacked.
Brothers Jesse and Jordan Kollman appeared in court to answer to the charges related to the alleged attack earlier this month.
Danville alderman Jaleel Jones, Tajon King, and Duane Williams told WCIA they were fishing on April 3 at White Oaks Park in Edgar County when the brothers and their friend, Jayden Reynolds, pulled up in a white pickup truck.
The victims claim the men were drinking alcohol earlier that night.
Prosecutors say the situation escalated quickly after the men got out of the truck and began harassing the victims, allegedly using racial slurs. The victims told investigators they tried to de-escalate and were trying to get away.
Police said eventually, Jordan Kollman pulled a shotgun out of the truck and fired a shot into the air. The State’s Attorney’s Office also said Reynolds bought the gun earlier that evening, WCIA reports.
The State’s Attorney’s Office says the victims were told, “We will blow your heads off.”
Investigators told Fox Illinois Jesse Kollman also helped escalate the situation by continuing to move toward the victims and participating in the confrontation.
Prosecutors say at that point, Tajon King, who was legally carrying a 9mm handgun, fired in self-defense after fearing for his life.
He struck Jordan Kollman multiple times in the abdomen and hip area.
The victims then ran from the area and called 911, reporting they were being shot at and giving their location.
According to court documents, evidence recovered at the scene included shotgun shells and 9mm casings, along with damage consistent with a shootout.
Investigators say the shotgun shells matched ammunition purchased earlier that evening.
Officers were able to catch the Kollman brothers later that night.
Jordan Kollman was taken to the hospital for treatment after suffering gunshot wounds.
Inside court on Tuesday, both men were denied pretrial release.
For Jones, the ruling brought relief after the incident.
“Just that you know that justice was getting served, and my family and my friends were safe, and that the Paris, Illinois Police Department did a very, very, very good job serving justice in a timely manner,” he told FOX Illinois.
Several Paris residents told WCIA they were frustrated to see the news.
“It just made me feel very, very sick to know that this kind of hate still exists. I mean, I know it exists, but to hear about it first-hand and happening in Paris was very, very disturbing, resident Kimberley Davis told WCIA.
“We live in 2026 and should not be tolerating things of this nature, these kinds of hate crimes, and so on. So justice being served is very important, because then it will draw a fine line to show people that, you know, the justice system will not tolerate it,” Leonidas Hamza, a student at Danville Area Community College, told the local Fox station.
The state’s attorney says that during the entire encounter, the Kollman brothers made it very clear that this was racially motivated and did not want the three Black men in Edgar County.
The Kollmans are set to return to court next Friday. Reynolds is expected in court on Monday.
