Illinois quick hits: Killeen stepping down from U of I in 2027

January 9, 2026/

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Killeen stepping down from U of I in 2027

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen says he stepping down at the end of his current contract on June 30, 2027.

Killeen informed the board of trustees Thursday that he would be leaving the office he has held since 2015.

Board Chair Jesse Ruiz said the search for Killeen’s replacement would begin in the coming weeks.

Mexican national charged with firearms violation

A Mexican national has been charged with illegally possessing and firing a loaded handgun in Chicago near immigration enforcement actions last year.

Federal prosecutors allege Hector Gomez brandished a firearm at a victim on Nov. 8, 2025. Shortly after, Chicago police officers found the gun in Gomez’s lap while he was parked in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.

Gomez had previously been convicted of a felony and was removed from the United States on at least four different occasions between 2008 and 2015, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement equipment

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services says it is honoring Illinois State Police on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Through CMS Surplus Equipment Control, the agency manages the state’s participation in the Law Enforcement Support Office Program.

The LESO program, managed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency in Battle Creek, Michigan, transfers equipment such as tactical gear, electronics, vehicles and weapons to federal and state law enforcement agencies.

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