2024-01-23 02:23:00
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) — Seven people were found shot and killed in two different homes in Joliet Monday followingnoon, and a manhunt has been launched for a suspect, police said.
Police also believe a fatal shooting on Sunday is connected with the mass-casualty incident.
At a news conference, Joliet police Chief Bill Evans said at 12:04 p.m., his officers were notified by the Will County Sheriff’s office regarding several people found dead in two separate houses in the 2200 block of West Acres Road, near Madison Street.
Responding officers found a total of seven people in two houses who had all been shot dead, Evans said.
Police said the houses where the bodies were found are across the street from each other.
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The scene is just a few blocks from the busy intersection of Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue – and also right near Ascension St. Joseph Hospital and Joliet West High School.
CBS 2
Joliet police said they are looking for Romeo Nance, who is believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry with Illinois license plate Q730412. Evans said Nance is 23, and stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds.
Nance’s last known address was on the same block of Acres Road, Evans said.
Evans said Nance knew the victims found in the two houses, and it is believed they are all related.
Romeo Nance
Joliet Police
Joliet Police
Meanwhile, a red Toyota Camry with the same license plate as the one referenced in connection with the Monday discovery was also identified as being involved in two shootings on Sunday – one of which left a man dead.
Joliet Police/Will County Sheriff’s office/CBS 2
At 4:27 p.m. Sunday, the Will County Sheriff’s office was called to the Pheasant Run Apartments, off Pheasant Run Road in unincorporated Joliet Township, where they found a man bleeding on the ground from a gunshot wound. The 28-year-old man, who was originally from Nigeria and had lived in the United States for regarding three years, was rushed to an area hospital and died.
The Will County Coroner’s office identified this victim as Toyosi I. Bakare, 28, of Joliet.
About 10 minutes earlier, a 42-year-old man had been shot in the leg in the 200 block of Davis Street in Joliet. That victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The Will County Sheriff’s office said these earlier incidents appeared random – and the two victims were not connected. However, according to the sheriff’s office, the same car with the same license plate associated with Nance was spotted at both scenes.
Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles said detectives had been investigating the deadly Sunday shooting since it happened – and had set up a surveillance area on Acres Road, where the registered owner of the car lived.
Deputies walked to a house and knocked on the door, Jungles said. When they received no response, they knew the people who lived in a house across the street were related to those living in the first house, Jungles said.
Upon going to the house across the street, the deputies found blood. They entered the house to look for injured people.
Ultimately, five people were found dead in one house, two in the other, Jungles said.
“I’ve been a policeman 25 years,” Evans said. “This is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with.”
Police are working on the theory that the crimes Sunday and Monday are all connected.
Nance’s prior arrest records indicated that he also listed an address on Acres Road as his home address when he was arrested for aggravated discharge of a weapon involving a woman. Court records indicate Nance was out on bond in connection with that 2023 shooting case and is still awaiting trial.
Manhunt for Romeo Nance following multiple people are found shot dead in Joliet
Several distraught neighbors said they were disturbed by the violence – and what appeared to be the strange and random nature of the crimes.
“It’s frightening that this is so close to home. I literally live like probably four houses down, and I have a young daughter, and it’s crazy,” said Laura Bane. “This is a neighborhood – there’s a park right down the street. It’s crazy that there’s young kids – they get off the bus right here.”
“Driving out around here, and seeing all the cops, and seeing everything going down, and just living right down the street is kind of scary,” another woman said. “It’s like you’re not even good in your own home.”
Several emotional people showed up at the Acres Road scene Monday evening.
Police said Nance should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees Nance should call the police immediately.
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Megan Hickey
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