A nationwide manhunt ended in Natalia, Texas, after the suspect in multiple fatal shootings in Joliet, Illinois, was found dead. The suspect, 23-year-old Romeo Nance, had evaded capture over a distance of more than 1,200 miles.
Law enforcement officials verified on Monday, January 22, 2024, that Nance, a Joliet resident, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with U.S. Marshals near San Antonio.
The series of tragic events began on Davis Street in Joliet, a suburb of Chicago, around 4:17 p.m. on Sunday, January 21. A 42-year-old man was shot in the leg but survived his injuries.
Shortly afterward, in a rural area of Joliet Township at the Pheasant Run apartment complex, deputies found 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators linked both shootings to a red Toyota Camry, which was later associated with Nance.
On the following day, Monday, January 22, authorities discovered seven more victims in two houses on West Acres Road in Joliet. One house contained five bodies, and the other two.
Joliet Chief of Police Bill Evans revealed that most of the victims, who ranged in age from teens to older adults, were Nance’s relatives.
In the first house on West Acres Road, the last known address of Nance, authorities found two teenage girls, aged 14 and 16, two women, 20-year-old Alexandria Nance and 38-year-old Christine Esters, and 31-year-old Joshua Nance.
Across the road, authorities found two more victims: 35-year-old William Esters II and 47-year-old Tameka Nance.
At around 8:30 on Monday night, U.S. Marshals informed Joliet authorities that they had located Nance near Natalia, Texas. During an engagement with the officers, Nance shot himself. Natalia is roughly 30 miles southwest of San Antonio.
In his nearly 30-year career, Police Chief Evans described these crime scenes as some of the most heart-rending.
According to Nance’s criminal past, he had a previous arrest for a serious crime involving a woman and the use of a firearm. Court documents show Nance was out on bail from the earlier shooting incident in 2023 and was awaiting trial.
When asked if the Joliet Police had received any reports of domestic incidents at the West Acres Road residences, Chief Evans did not give a clear answer. He only noted that Nance had a significant criminal history and was known to the police.
