Illinois police are searching for an ‘armed and dangerous’ suspect after seven family members were found shot dead in two homes in Joliet on Monday and another man was killed on Sunday.
The suspect, Romeo Nance, 23, was still at large on Monday evening and is believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry with the license plate Q730412.
Nance was first linked to two shootings on Sunday, where a 28-year-old man was fatally shot and another man was shot in the leg but survived.
Will County Sheriff’s Office set up surveillance at an address linked to Nance’s car on Sunday night in the 2200 block of West Acres Road, but when he didn’t return, they knocked on the door and then forced entry to find ‘multiple’ deceased people.
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans said they believe the dead people are ‘family members’ and two were found in one house while five were found in another house across the road.
He added: ‘I’ve been a policeman 29 years, this is probably the worst crime scene I have ever been associated with’.
Illinois police are searching Romeo Nance who they said is ‘armed and dangerous’
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans said it was the ‘worst’ crime scene he had seen in his 29-year career
The Joliet Police Department said: ‘Nance should be regarded as armed and dangerous.’
Anyone with information regarding Nance and this vehicle are asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.
‘The information remains fluid and ever changing as this investigation progresses,’ said police.
At 1:50 p.m. on Monday the police closed West Acres Road between Madison Street and Springfield Avenue to conduct the investigation when they discovered the bodies.
The police confirmed in a 3.00pm update that several people had died and they are searching for Nance – they would not give a number at first.
According to CBS News, a red Toyota Camry with the same license plate was identified as being involved with two shootings on Sunday.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Pheasant Run Apartments located off Pheasant Run Road in Unincorporated Joliet Township regarding a shooting around 4:27 p.m. on Sunday.
Police found a male victim on the ground bleeding from the head from an apparent gunshot wound.
He later died.
The victim was identified as Toyosi Bakare, 28, originally from Nigeria, who has been living in the United States for approximately three years.
Police are looking for a red Toyota Camry which was seen near the scenes of two other shootings on Sunday
Police said Nance believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry with the license plate Q730412
A red Toyota Camry with the same license plate was identified as being involved with two shootings on Sunday
About ten minutes before the shooting of Bakare, another man was shot in the leg, he was injured, but did not die.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office has been working with the Joliet Police Department on both crimes.
They say that the victims in Sunday’s shootings are not connected to each other or to the victims of Monday’s shootings and ‘seem to be random in nature’.
Nance was arrested by Joliet police before in 2023 after allegedly trying to shoot a woman multiple times.
The 36-year-old woman was driving when a black four-door sedan began honking at her. The driver then pulled up alongside her and threw a water bottle at her, before following her car and pointing a gun at her.
He allegedly then shot at the woman multiple times, but didn’t hit her, before speeding away.
Police identified Nance as a suspect, found him near his house and arrested him after brief struggle.
He was charged with aggravated discharge of a weapon, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault, reckless discharge of a firearm and obstructing a peace officer.
But he was released after posting $10,000 of a $100,000 bond in March 10 2023, according to court documents seen by WGN9, and was due back in court February 1.
He was also imprisoned aged 19 and charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of theft and one charge of unlawful possession of cannabis.