Tragic End to a Series of Killings in Joliet as Suspect in Eight Deaths Found Deceased in Texas

In the quiet suburban stretches of Joliet, Illinois, a chilling narrative unfolded when eight people were tragically found shot and dead over two consecutive days. The suspected architect behind these cold-blooded killings was a 23-year-old man named Romeo Nance—a figure who police would later find dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Natalia, Texas, abruptly ending a frantic manhunt sprawling across state lines.

The gruesome discovery was first made when Will County Sheriff's deputies, while investigating an earlier shooting incident, stumbled upon seven fatalities in two separate residences on West Acres Road, near Madison Street, on a Monday afternoon. This unsettling revelation was only blocks away from the bustling intersection of Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue, casting a shadow over the daily routines of this suburban community.

Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans disclosed that the officers were notified about the victims found in each house—who all seemed to be related to one another—prompting an immediate need to locate Nance. His last known address marked him as a nearby resident with connections to the deceased, intensifying the urgency of the situation.

A day before, a tragic precursor unfolded at the Pheasant Run Apartments outside the jurisdiction of Joliet proper, where Toyosi I. Bakare, a 28-year-old man who had called the United States his home for three years, suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Around the same timeframe, another incident, resulting in non-fatal injuries, was reported on Davis Street. These occurrences, seemingly random, were tied together by the appearance of Nance's red Toyota Camry at both scenes.

Heightened investigative measures by Will County Sheriff's deputies on Acres Road led them to the horrifying scenes, where in one house at 2225 W. Acres Rd., five bodies were discovered, and in another at 2212 W. Acres Rd., two more were found—all victims of gunshot wounds.

The grief-fueled reality of these events left the Joliet community grappling with loss and fear, as cited by residents like Laura Bane, who emotionally recounted the proximity of the violence to her home and family.

Adding a layer of complexity, Nance was out on bond for a previous 2023 shooting incident and awaiting trial, revealing a history of violence that was sadly repeated.

As law enforcement officials in Texas joined the search for Nance, a confrontation at a Valero gas station heralded the end of Nance's flight from justice. With the suspect's death, a community left to mourn the unfortunate souls lost to this senseless violence began seeking solace and closure.