'Special kid': Slain former Peoria High basketball player remembered as hard working, supportive

PEORIA — MikeQuese Taylor is gone.

So is a rising junior college basketball player. A new father. A leader for the high school basketball program that changed everything for him.

A life that was on the rise and inspiring younger people he touched.

The 18-year-old was all of those things, and all of those things died with him when he was shot to death Tuesday in the 100 block of East Forrest Hill Avenue in Peoria.

Police found Taylor with a gunshot wound around 7:20 p.m. before he was transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 7:41 p.m. Police have no suspect information as of late Wednesday morning.

MikeQuese Taylor: Victim of deadly shooting has been identified as Peoria teenager

"My understanding is he was just outside at home, in his yard, cleaning his tires when two guys walked up on him," Peoria High School basketball star Leshawn Stowers said. "He just had a baby boy born, his first child. He was in the mindset of being a father, having a family to take care of, working on his education and college basketball.

"He came home from college to see his son. He played with us in our open gym two days ago. The next day, he was just gone.

"I'm in disbelief."

A young man on a mission

MikeQuese Taylor was raised mostly by his mother, Nijja Shanell, and he could play basketball well enough to make Peoria High's elite program a goal.

The 6-foot-1 guard made an immediate impression.

"When he came into high school initially his thoughts were focused on being capable of going to school," Peoria High School head coach Danny Ruffin said. "But he trusted the process in our program and figured out it was realistic he could go to college for this sport. He really bought in and focused.

"When he was a junior he didn't think he'd make the team. Once he made the team he wasn't sure he'd even play. He went from that to where he was starting for me as a junior.

"It went on from there. You could see the growth in him."

That growth included all-Big 12 Conference first-team honors as a senior in 2022-23. It led to a college basketball opportunity. He played for a 22-10 Kansas City Kansas Community College team that won the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division-II championship in 2023-24.

Taylor appeared in 31 games, averaged 10.3 points per game and shot 50.3% from the field, plus four rebounds and 1.4 assists.

"He came home because his girlfriend gave birth to their first child recently," Ruffin said. "He was in town to see his baby. As a player, he was a kid who every time he stepped on the floor he gave 110% no matter who the opponent was. I admired that about him. He never backed down."

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Ruffin said off the court, Taylor lit up the room with his personality.

"He'll definitely be missed. His mom was so very proud of him and thankful of our guidance and how he utilized what we could offer," Ruffin said. "When he came back from school, he always visited and played with the young guys.

"Just someone who went against the odds and put himself in a better situation, did that and wanted others to do it."

'A special kid'

Stowers, a forward who played with Taylor, is heading to his senior year with the Lions in 2024-25 and is an NCAA Division-I prospect with an offer from Bradley University and other mid-major programs.

"MikeQuese was a special kid," he said. "One of the best players we had — he wanted it more than anybody on the floor, played hard no matter the outcome.

"He's a funny dude, great to be around. When this happened, I just resolved to keep my head down and try to keep grinding and feel fortunate for the opportunities I have."

True to his nature, Taylor's last post on X.com, sent the day before he died, was encouragement to his friend and former teammate De'Kwon Brown.

Those that played with, or coached, or knew Taylor were left to reflect on the basketball player, the father, the friend Wednesday.

Ruffin's best memory had nothing to do with a game or something on the court.

"The moment that really stands out for me?" Ruffin said. "It was the day MikeQuese came to me and said 'Hey coach, I'm going to college.'

"He had the biggest smile on his face. It was all ahead of him."

A globetrotter was watching

Curley "Boo" Johnson knew of MikeQuese Taylor, said the player wanted to join his annual camps as an instructor for the young kids attending the growing event. He couldn't do it, ultimately, because Peoria Schools started earlier than others in the area and it conflicted with the camp schedule.

But Johnson, a former Peoria High star who went on to an 18-year career with the Harlem Globetrotters, felt the loss when news of Taylor's death reached him.

"I keep track with the kids once they go off to college," Johnson said. "He was on his way. JUCO was a launching pad and I saw that as a step for him to make his way. That's how I got started. He was extremely talented, an explosive player, quick, could jump out of the gym. He was no day at the beach to guard.

"I just hate when I get these messages. But I never want to get to the point where I get numb. He was on his way, and it just makes the tragedy worse.

"For me, the sadness I started with today has now gone to anger."

A cousin, a best friend and the No. 10

De'Kwon Brown loved MikeQuese Taylor like a brother, although he says not a lot of people actually knew they were literally family, cousins. The 6-foot-2 point guard grew up with Taylor and the boys later became teammates at Peoria High School.

"Basketball brought us close," Brown said, fighting emotions Wednesday afternoon. "He was going that route and I was already in it and I tried my best to bring him with me. I played with him at Peoria High when I was a junior and he was a senior. I got so close with him.

"We loved each other, and had that hard family rivalry, too. We grew and matured together. Not only was he my friend, he was my best friend."

Brown, who is committed to start his college playing career next season at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas, came home to Peoria for a break, just as Taylor did. They both turned up at the Lions' open gym session on Monday.

"We started hooping together, and I told him to stay outta my way," Brown said, chuckling. "He laughed at me. He came home, he just wanted to see his baby, and I talked to him a bit, congratulated him on becoming a father.

"He told me he had greater purpose now."

One night later Taylor was dead, and Brown was left clutching an old Journal Star sports section and remembering how the boys laughed at each other after doing interviews.

"It was a big game and we both got interviewed," Brown said. "We actually got in the newspaper together, one of his first interviews for basketball. He came to me afterward and said, 'I fumbled my words like hella bad.'

"He was stuttering through the interview. We just had a laugh about it, how shy he was and we both laughed.

"I still have that newspaper and now I'm going to frame it."

Brown's favorite uniform number was 10, which he couldn't wear on the Lions team because Taylor grabbed it. Or as Brown teased, he "stole it from me."

When Brown begins his junior college career next season, he'll wear that No. 10.

"It'll be for MikeQuese," he said. "He inspired me to go play JUCO ball. He was trying to make his way as a father, and in basketball. He grew up with his mom, who was his everything, and his uncle, Duke and his cousins like me.

"When he was here, he had love all around him."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria basketball player MikeQuese Taylor shot and killed: Coaches, teammates share