CHICAGO — A man shot and killed eight people in three locations in a Chicago suburb since Sunday and remains on the run, authorities said Monday.
Will County and Joliet police said they did not know a motive for the killings, but said the man knew the victims.
Joliet Police Chief William Evans said the FBI's Fugitive Task Force is assisting local police in their search for the suspect.
The victims were found in three separate locations on Sunday and Monday, authorities said Monday night, hours after warning on social media that the man should be considered “armed and dangerous.” he told reporters.
One of those killed was found Sunday in a Will County home.
Seven other people were found Monday in two homes in Joliet.
Officials said they believe a separate shooting that injured a man in Joliet on Sunday was also related to the spate of violence, but they would not discuss evidence.
“I've been a police officer for 29 years, and this is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been involved with,” Evans said Monday night at a news conference outside his Joliet home.
Will County Chief Deputy Dan Jungles said at a news conference that deputies had staked out one of the homes since Sunday evening in case the suspect in that day's shooting returned. When no one showed up, deputies finally made their way to the front door of one of the homes.
When no one answered, they tried another house that was found to be related to the first and discovered the first body. Jungles did not provide further details.
Jungles said there was still no indication how long the people in the homes had been dead. He said an autopsy is underway.
Evans said the victims found Monday at the residence were family members.
Asked if the victims were family members of the suspect, Jungles said he could not comment other than to say the suspect knew them.
Teresa Smart, who lives about a block away from where seven of the victims were found, said she worries she and her family won't be able to sleep tonight.
“This is too close to home,” she said, adding that police cars were blocking roads throughout the neighborhood.
“I’m constantly looking out the window and double-checking the door,” she said. “It's super scary.”
In a Facebook post early Monday afternoon, Joliet police said they were investigating “multiple” people whose bodies were found and shared a photo of the man and a photo. vehicle images. Authorities identified the vehicle as a red Toyota Camry.
Earlier Monday, the Will County Sheriff's Office shared an image of the same vehicle via Facebook and said it had been seen at two separate shooting scenes Sunday afternoon.
___ This story has been corrected to show that Joliet is a city, not a county. ___ Richmond reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Associated Press writer Claire Savage contributed.
