Football coach Byron Gettis Sr.’s 19-year-old son, Byron E. Gettis Jr., was discovered shot to death in an alley in East St. Louis on Sunday evening, March 9, 2025.
The young man, identified as the son of former Major League Baseball player and respected local football coach Byron Gettis Sr., was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds.
This tragic incident occurred after Gettis had been home from a tour of duty in the military and was supposed to head back in a week.
According to the Illinois State Police and St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr., Byron Gettis Jr.’s body was found around 6:30 p.m. near the 1700 block of Gay Avenue.
Coroner Calvin Dye confirmed that the teen succumbed to multiple gunshot injuries and was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The senior Gettis confirmed his son’s passing via social media. He took to his Instagram to share a carousel of Gettis Jr.’s pictures and wrote, “💔💔LORD HAVE MERCY 🙏🏿🙏🏿.“
A June 2023 Facebook post from Gettis Sr. congratulated Byron Jr. for entering the U.S. military.
Solomon Lewis, who found Gettis Jr.’s body, said, “I have no no clue why or where did he come from, or why was he there.”
He added,
It’s a tragedy what happened, what was discovered [Sunday]. When I was cleaning up the yard, I noticed what appeared to be a body, which I thought was a log at first.
Soloman Lewis
At the moment, the incident is being investigated as a homicide, with authorities working to uncover the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Byron Gettis Jr.’s Father, Byron Gettis Sr., Boasts a Succesful Career From MLB Outfielder to Influential Metro-East Coach!
Byron Gettis Sr., the victim’s father, is a well-known figure in the Metro-East sports community. He is a former Kansas City Royals outfielder and O’Fallon High School football coach.
A native of the region, Gettis Sr. briefly played as an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals in 2004, appearing in 21 games during his MLB career.
After his time in professional baseball, he transitioned to football. He earned a degree from McKendree University while continuing to play the sport.
Eventually, his passion for athletics led him to a successful coaching career.
Gettis Sr. previously served as head coach and athletic director at Cahokia High School, guiding the team to the 5A playoffs.
He was also the head football coach at O’Fallon Township High School and resigned on December 5, 2023.
Senior Gettis also spent four years as an assistant coach under Jeff Fisher at the now defunct Lindenwood University-Belleville program.
