Suspect arrested in Cairo homicide case

CAIRO, Ill. -- A suspect has been arrested in connection to a Thursday homicide in Cairo.

Melvin Hadley, 28, of Cairo was arrested by police and was housed in the Tri-County Detention Center as of Friday morning, according to a news release from Cairo Police Chief Timothy Brown. Charges were pending with the Alexander County State's Attorney's office.

Jeserick Pilgram, 19, of Mounds, Ill., was shot to death after 2 a.m., outside Mary J's Lounge in the 400 block of Commercial Street. Another man, Tyrone Watson, 30, of Cairo was shot in the lower left calf and taken by helicopter to a Cape Girardeau hospital, said Lt. Gary Hankins of the Cairo Police Department. Watson was in stable condition Thursday evening.

Police responded to a report of shots fired near the intersection of Fourth and Commercial streets about 2:30 a.m. and found 75 to 100 people gathered there.

Police said shots were fired in the street from what they believe to be handguns. Two vehicles near the scene were hit by stray bullets, Hankins said.