OAN's Brooke Mallory
5:16pm – Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Texas authorities say Romeo Nance, who is accused of killing eight people and seriously injuring nine others in the Joliet, Illinois, shooting spree, turned the gun on himself after a confrontation with federal law enforcement. He took his own life in pursuit of this.
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Nance, 23, was found by U.S. marshals on Monday near Natalia, Texas, more than 1,000 miles from the scene of Sunday's shooting that killed eight people at two homes in Joliet, Illinois, a south Chicago suburb. It was done. According to the Joliet Police Department.
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans announced Monday that Nance is believed to be involved in another shooting in Will County, Illinois, that also claimed the life of a 28-year-old.
Authorities say Nance shot himself after confronting authorities. Police press release.
The motive for Nance's murder is unknown, but Chief Evans said the suspect was acquainted with seven of the victims who were believed to be involved. The names of the victims are not known to the public.
Dan Jungles, deputy operations director for the Will County Sheriff's Office, said deputies were dispatched to another scene in Will County where they found “a person bleeding from the head and upon arrival, “We found a gunshot wound,” he said. ”
According to Jungles, the victim, Toyosi Bakare, 28, was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his serious injuries. Jungles said Bakare had lived in Will County, which includes Joliet, for about three years. He is from Nigeria.
After Nance's red Toyota Camry was last seen at the crime scene, the sheriff's office began monitoring Nance's last known address to locate the vehicle, according to The Jungles. .
Jungles went on to say during the press conference that after finding no sign of Nance or his vehicle, deputies knocked on the door of the home without getting any response.
“When there was no response, they learned that the house across the street was related to the people who lived in that house, so they walked there,” Jangle said.
He also said that when deputies entered the residence after noticing blood stains on the door, they discovered the bodies of the two victims. Jungles went on to explain that five more people were found dead in the first house, but it was unclear how much time had passed since they had been dead.
“I've been a police officer for 29 years. This is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been involved with,” Evans said.
Nance is said to have a long criminal history, but police did not provide additional information. On Tuesday, authorities said they might not be able to find a motive in these circumstances if the shooter turned the gun on himself.
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