Romeo Nance, Joliet, Illinois gunman shoots self dead after confrontation with officers in Texas following manhunt after Chicago area man shot dead 7 family members dead at two locations, including his girlfriend and an eighth man at a third location along with injuring another at a fourth location. Suspect was out on bond awaiting trial after shooting at random woman last year.
A Joliet, Illinois gunman who went a shooting spree, killing eight at three different locations over the weekend, killed himself after being surrounded by police in Texas following an intra-state manhunt.
Romeo Nance, 23, was on the run after he was linked to three separate shootings in Joliet, near Chicago, in the past two days.
A man was killed and another injured on Sunday before seven more dead bodies were found on Monday afternoon.
Manhunt ends 1,191-miles away
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans during a press conference, said Monday’s victims were ‘family members’ who were found dead in two homes on the 2200 block of West Acres Road in one of the ‘worst crime scenes’ he had ever seen.
The shootings were all linked to Nance and a manhunt launched for the wanted man until he was cornered 1,191-miles away at a Chubby’s gas station in Natalia, Texas at 8.30pm on Monday.
Officers said they tracked him down in a ‘stand-off’ at the gas station before he shot himself dead with a handgun following a confrontation with officers.
The Joliet Police Department said in a release: ‘At approximately 8:30 PM this evening, the Joliet Police Department learned that Nance had been located by US Marshals near Natalia, Texas at which time it is believed that Nance took his own life with a handgun following a confrontation with Texas law enforcement officials.’
He was located at a Chubby’s gas station with photos of the cordoned-off scene showing a red Toyota Camry – with different plates than the ones that were seen on his car in Illinois – stopped at a pump with a large black SUV pinning it in.
Wanted gunman kill self after police confrontation
Medina County Sheriff’s Office said they ‘received a call of an individual heading into our county on IH35 from Bexar County. The individual was believed to be wanted out of Chicago for multiple homicides.
‘Deputies were able to help assist the other agencies and the suspect was at a standoff in Natalia at Chubby’s Gas station.
‘The male suspect ended up sustaining self inflicted gunshot wounds.
‘The scene is currently secured and there is no threat to the public. We ask the public to please be mindful of this area and allow the Investigators and Deputies to conduct their investigation.’
The fastest route from Joliet to Texas by car would have taken Nance at least 19 hours and crossed through four states.
7 deceased victims at two residences were family members
In Illinois, Will County Sheriff’s Office had started investigating Nance after the shootings on Sunday, when a 28-year-old man, Nigerian emigre, Toyosi Bakare was fatally shot and another man was shot in the leg but survived.
Cops set up surveillance at an address linked to Nance’s car on Sunday night in the 2200 block of West Acres Road, and when he didn’t return they decided to knock on the door.
They said that when they approached the door of 2212 West Acres Road they saw blood on the floor and then forced entry to find ‘five individuals that appeared to be deceased from gunshot wounds’.
They then discovered ‘another possible crime scene at 2225 West Acres Road, across the road and made entry into that home as well, locating two individuals also deceased from gunshot wounds.’
Chief Evans described the seven dead people as ‘family members’.
A motive for their killings hasn’t been established, but Chief Evans said the family were ‘known’ to Nance.
Worse crime scene witnessed in 29 years
During a Monday night press conference he said: ‘I’ve been a policeman 29 years, this is probably the worst crime scene I have ever been associated with’.
Will County Sheriff’s Office deputy chief Dan Jungles said they had been working on the investigation into Nance since Sunday when they were called to a report of a man, later identified as Toyosi Bakare bleeding from his head at 5 Pheasant Run Lane.
Dept Chief Jungles said they quickly identified Nance’s vehicle and found it was linked to another non-fatal shooting, where a man was shot in the leg but survived, in the 200 block of Davis Street, Joliet, the same day.
He said at midnight on Sunday officers set up ‘constant surveillance’ near an address linked to Nance’s vehicle in 2200 West Acres Road but it ‘yielded negative results’.
After Nance or the car failed to appear at the address, Dept Chief Jungles said: ‘Just before noon this morning, our officers then went to a residence, located blood, made entry where they located two deceased individuals.
A search of a second home linked to the two deceased victims led to the discovery of five other deceased individuals who had suffered mortal gunshot wounds. Surveillance video connected a vehicle, a red Toyota Camry, registered in Nance’s name at both locations.
Chief Evans said that they ‘do not have any motive’ for the shootings but that Nance ‘does know the victims’.
Referring the the victims, he said: ‘They are related. We do believe they are family members.’
He added: ‘Our hearts go out to the victims’ families of this heinous crime. We will do everything in our power, here at the Joliet Police Department, to bring the person responsible for this to justice.’
Suspect gunman was out on bond and awaiting trial for shooting at random woman
The weekend shootings come as Nance was out on bond and awaiting trial for a March, 2023 incident in which he allegedly tried to shoot a woman multiple times.
The 36-year-old woman was driving when a black four-door sedan began honking at her.
Nance 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.
At the time of his arrest Nance was booked with aggravated discharge of a weapon, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault, reckless discharge of a firearm and obstructing a peace officer.
Nance 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, 2024.
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.
