Romeo Nance, a suspect in the shooting of seven people in Joliet, Illinois, is believed to have shot himself after being confronted by officers near Natalia, Tevas.
Nance was the subject of a manhunt yesterday after he was accused of killing at least seven people in two houses in Joliet’s West Acres Road, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago.
The 23-year-old is accused of killing five people in one house and another two in another house across the road. He is also linked to two other shootings in the area, which left one man dead.
The identities of the victims in the two houses have not been released, but the police said they are all related. It is unclear what Nance’s relationship was with the victims, but he is thought to have known them and may also be a relative.
Police officers discovered the bodies on Monday morning, but it is currently unknown when they were killed.
The cops identified Nance as a potential suspect early in the investigation and released his image and a description of his car, a red Toyota Camry, to the public. The police also appealed to the FBI Fugitive Task Force.
Joliet shooting suspect Romeo Nance suspected of shooting himself as US Marshals approached him in Texas
The US Marshals located Nance on Monday evening near Natalia, Texas, about 30 miles southwest of San Antonio and more than 1000 miles from Joliet.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe suspect reportedly shot himself with a handgun when officers approached him.
Will County deputies and Joilet detectives are also investigating if Nance is responsible for two shootings on Sunday. A victim, identified as 28-year-old Toysi Bakare, was shot dead on Sunday afternoon in unincorporated Joliet Township, and a 42-year-old was shot in the leg in Joliet.
Joliet cops were searching for Romeo Nance in connection with two other shootings
The cops were investigating these two shootings when they discovered the seven bodies on Monday around noon. Witnesses had told the investigators that Nance’s red Toyota Camry was at the scene of both Sunday shootings.
The police had one of the West Acres Road houses under surveillance, hoping the red Camry would appear there. However, after some time had passed, they knocked on the door of the house, and failing to get an answer, they went to the second home and discovered blood, which led to the grim discovery.
Deputy Chief Dan Jungles of Will County Sheriff’s Office explained the situation, “We had surveillance on it all throughout the evening and throughout this morning, constant surveillance, hoping that the vehicle would return to that residence, which it did not. That’s when we made the decision to try and make contact with the registered owner of the vehicle.”
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans has said, “I’ve been a policeman 29 years. This is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with.”