Gunman kills himself after eight people found dead in three homes in mass attack
A suspected gunman, described as "armed and dangerous", has taken his own life after eight people were found dead in three houses.
The 23-year-old suspect, Romeo Nance, shot himself following a stand-off with police in Natalia. The victims, who were known to the gunman, were discovered on Sunday and Monday at three different locations in Joliet, Illinois.
The motive behind the killings remains unclear. Joliet Police Chief William Evans said: "I've been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with."
Nance had been driving a red Toyota Camry with the license plate Q730412 - the same vehicle being sought in connection with a homicide on Sunday.
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He killed himself after a stand-off with police (No credit)Joliet Police warned: "Nance should be regarded as armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding Nance and this vehicle is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Joliet Police Department. The information remains fluid and changing as this investigation progresses."
One person was found dead in a house on Sunday, and seven more were discovered across two homes on Monday. "I've been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with," said Evans at a news briefing.
Will County Chief Deputy Dan Jungles mentioned that deputies had watched one of the houses since Sunday night, hoping the suspect would return. When nobody did, they checked the homes and found the bodies. Jungles didn't give more details.
Romeo Nance was believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry with the license plate Q73041 (Joliet Police Department / Facebook)Jungles also said it's not clear how long the victims had been dead and that autopsies are coming up. Evans confirmed the victims were related. When asked if they were the suspect's family, Jungles said he couldn't say but noted the suspect knew them.
Earlier on Monday, Joliet Police posted on Facebook about investigating "multiple" deaths and shared a photo of a man and a red Toyota Camry. The Will County Sheriff's Office had also posted about the same car, linking it to two shootings on Sunday.
Sgt. Dwayne English from Joliet Police told Patch that they suspect a link between the recent murders and a previous killing at Pheasant Run Apartments in Joliet Township on Sunday afternoon. The victim of Sunday's murder was identified as 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare, a Nigerian man who moved to the US three years ago.
Police urged people to stay away from the gunman (Joliet Police Department / Facebook)In addition, the police believe these incidents are connected to a non-fatal shooting that happened just ten minutes before Bakare's murder, where a 42-year-old man was shot in the leg.
The police have had to close several roads while they investigate the murders, and they've warned that these closures could last for a while.
Romeo Nance's criminal past
A year ago, Nance was arrested for allegedly shooting at a woman while she was driving in Joliet. This incident took place on January 2, 2023, when a 36-year-old woman was driving southbound on North Larkin Avenue. A black 4-door car behind her started honking, and things got worse when the man in the car threw a water bottle at her in the 1300 block of North Larkin Avenue.
The woman called 911, and both cars continued westbound on Ingalls Avenue. During this time, the suspect pointed a gun at her and fired several shots. The cars kept going through a nearby neighbourhood, eventually ending up in the area of Ingalls Avenue and Brentwood Place. Here, the gunman fired more shots at the woman and then sped off southbound on Brentwood Place.
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Luckily, no one was hurt, but a woman's car and a house in Brentwood Place were hit by bullets. Nance was identified as the suspect in the shooting, and he was arrested weeks later when officers saw him getting into a car outside his home in West Acres. During the arrest, Nance reportedly resisted the officers.
A loaded gun was found in the car with Nance when he was caught on January 26, 2023. He is facing several charges, including aggravated discharge of a weapon, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault, reckless discharge of a firearm, and obstructing a peace officer. Despite these charges, jail records from Will County show that Nance has been out on bond since March 10, 2023.
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Nance's next court date for the 2023 case was set for February 1. In a previous incident in 2019, Nance faced robbery charges with another man, but these charges were later dropped. Instead, he pleaded guilty to a cannabis possession charge and was sentenced to time served in jail, 30 hours of community service, 24 months' probation, and was ordered to get a GED or high school diploma.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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