Authorities in Joliet and Will County are detailing a series of shootings that left eight people dead and another injured in recent days, with the suspect dying by suicide in Texas on Monday night.
The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Romeo Nance, is accused in at least four different shootings before he fled to Texas, where he died on Monday.
The first shooting occurred in the 200 block of Davis Street at approximately 4:17 p.m. Sunday, according to police. A 42-year-old man was shot in the leg and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
Approximately 10 minutes later, another shooting was reported, this time at the Pheasant Run apartment complex in unincorporated Joliet Township. Will County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene and found 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare lying on the ground after he had suffered a single gunshot wound to his head.
Bakare was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A red Toyota Camry was seen in the area of both shootings, and authorities were able to pull a license plate number from the vehicle, tracing it to a residence in the 2200 block of West Acres Road in Joliet.
Authorities then set up surveillance at the location, but the vehicle never returned to that scene. Ultimately, Will County sheriff’s deputies approached the residence at 2225 West Acres Road, where they discovered bullet holes and blood.
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Upon entry, detectives discovered a 47-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
The sheriff’s department then contacted Joliet police, who made entry at a home at 2212 West Acres Road. There, a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, as well as a 20-year-old woman and a 38-year-old woman, were discovered shot to death, along with a 38-year-old man, according to police.
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It is believed that a majority of the victims at the two residences on West Acres Road were related to Nance, but the exact nature of the relationships is unknown at this time.
When Will County officials became confident that Nance was no longer in the area, they alerted law enforcement nationwide about the vehicle description and license plate. That vehicle was ultimately sighted by an aerial patrol, and Nance was tracked to a gas station in Natalia, Texas.
During a confrontation with police, Nance fled officers on foot, and died by suicide a short time later, according to officials.
The U.S. Marshals, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI all participated in the manhunt for Nance, according to Will County officials.
The suspect had no known connections to the state, and it is believed he had stolen Texas license plates in an effort to thwart efforts to capture him, according to Will County officials.
There is still no information available on any motive in the case, and an investigation remains ongoing.
