A 78-year-old man, John Wesley Allen, likely set out for one of his spontaneous visits to his older sister. Unfortunately, his path tragically crossed with a knife-wielding teenager dressed as a clown. This information comes from Allen’s family on Friday. The incident occurred in East St. Louis, Illinois, where Allen was found dead on Monday night. According to state police, the attack appeared random, with the suspect wearing a clown costume.

The location where Allen was found is near a bus stop he often used to visit his sister, Delores Fowler, without prior notice. ‘He’d never make an appointment. He’d just call me and say, ‘Are you at home?’ Then I’d say, ‘Yeah, I’ll come get you at the MetroLink station or the bus stop,’ Fowler, 82, explained to NBC News.

Allen, a retired bus driver from St. Louis, enjoyed traveling via public transit, despite his family’s concerns. His career with Metro Transit in St. Louis spanned from 1977 until his retirement in 1994. ‘He was a very friendly person. He would talk to anybody. He just loved people,’ Fowler recalled.

John Wesley Allen. Courtesy of Tenia Stanford

Allen resided in a retirement community in St. Louis. His wife, Yvonne Allen, passed away at 65 in 2019. A 15-year-old boy now faces charges related to Allen’s death, with police indicating no known prior connection between the suspect and the victim.

‘We were always concerned about him coming over without calling, but he just enjoyed being with his sister,’ stated Allen’s niece, Tania Stanford, 49. ‘He was a joyful person and he was loved. He was a friendly guy who would do anything. He’d give you the shirt off his back,’ she added.

News of the tragic event reached Allen’s family through local reports. Fowler initially doubted the news, even after hearing parts of his name on television. ‘Friends were asking me, ‘Is this John that we’ve been seeing (on local TV news), that somebody killed him?’ she shared. ‘That’s when I turned the TV on and they said it was a ‘‘Wesley Allen’’ and I said to myself, ‘‘Well, that’s not him. His name is John Wesley Allen.’’

East St. Louis police have redirected inquiries about the case to Illinois State Police, who are currently overseeing the investigation. A spokesperson for state authorities withheld comments as of Friday. It remains unclear if the suspect has legal representation.

Fowler expressed a strong desire for justice, stating, ‘We want him tried as an adult. He took a person’s life for no reason.’