GRANITE CITY – A convicted felon from Alton accused of firing a handgun in a Granite City neighborhood while on probation is now awaiting trial in Madison County custody.
18-year-old Kayden C. Robertson of Alton was charged on Nov. 9, 2026, with one count each of the following offenses:
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Unlawful possession of a stolen firearm (Class 2 felony)
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Felon in possession of a weapon (Class 3 felony)
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Aggravated unlawful possession of weapons (Class 4 felony)
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Reckless discharge of a firearm (Class 4 felony)
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Resisting a peace officer (Class A misdemeanor)
Robertson allegedly knowingly discharged a firearm in a reckless manner in a densely populated neighborhood, endangering the bodily safety of residents in the 2600 block of East 28th Street in Granite City on Nov. 7, 2026. He is also accused of resisting arrest on the same day by fleeing from a police officer on foot.
The weapon, a Ruger LCP 11, was unlawful for Robertson to possess not only because it was reportedly stolen, uncased, loaded and immediately accessible at the time of the offense, but also due to his prior felony conviction of mob action and lack of a valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.
Officers saw Robertson leaving an alley as they were responding to a report of shots fired, according to a petition to deny his pretrial release filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. Robertson then fled on foot as the officers approached and discarded a firearm before officers caught and detained Robertson.
“Defendant admitted to discharging the gun in an alley, saying that he received it from a friend and was test-firing it,” the petition states.
The state’s petition was granted, with an Order of Detention in this case noting that even as a felon prohibited from possessing firearms, Robertson “not only possessed but discharged a firearm in a public place for absolutely no valid reason.”
“Defendant has been provided ample opportunity to not be a resident of the County Jail,” the detention order states. “His pattern of decision-making does not lend itself to conditions of pretrial release.”
Madison County court records show Robertson pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, 2026, to a Class 4 felony count of mob action and was sentenced to 24 months of probation. A petition to revoke his probation in that previous case was filed one day after these latest charges, and he was ordered to be detained pending trial in this newest case.
The Granite City Police Department presented the case against Robertson, who currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
