Suspect accused of killing 7 in Illinois killed himself when found by US Marshals in Texas

 

 

 

The man who allegedly shot and killed seven people in two homes in Illinois turned the gun on himself and ended his own life after a confrontation with law enforcement in Texas.

Romeo Nance, 23, was found by U.S. Marshals near Natalia, Texas, at about 8:30 p.m. Monday when he shot and killed himself with a handgun, according to the Joliet Police Department in Illinois. This comes after a search for Nance in response to the discovery of seven shooting victims earlier.

The identification of the victims and the manner of their deaths will be confirmed by the Will County Coroner's Office, Joliet Police said in a news release. The investigation remains active.

Joliet police officers responded to West Acres Road shortly after noon on Monday following a report from the Will County Sheriff’s Office that deputies discovered multiple dead bodies in two homes while conducting investigative work in response to a homicide that took place in their jurisdiction.

Deputies found evidence of a possible crime scene at a home at 2212 West Acres Road and entered the residence where they located five people who appeared to be dead from gunshot wounds.

Shortly afterward, deputies discovered another possible crime scene at 2225 West Acres Road and entered that home where deputies found two people who also appeared to be dead from gunshot wounds.

Joliet police were then called to the scene. It is believed Nance knew the victims and that they were relatives.

During the investigation, detectives quickly identified Nance as a suspect in the homicides on West Acres Road. He was also believed to be the gunman in two other shootings that happened on Sunday.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, deputies were called to an apartment complex where they found a man bleeding from the head from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim, later identified as 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare, died from his injuries.

Bakare was originally from Nigeria and had been living in the U.S. for nearly three years.

Deputies said that about ten minutes before that fatal shooting, a 42-year-old man was shot in the leg and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Officials said the victims in Sunday’s shootings are not connected to one another and appear to be random in nature.

The plate numbers on the vehicle that authorities believed Nance was driving after Monday's shootings match the vehicle spotted near both shooting scenes.

According to court records, Nance was charged about a year ago after he tried to shoot a woman multiple times. Police located him near his home and arrested him after a brief struggle with officers. He was charged as part of Operation New Year’s Resolution and was released after posting $10,000 of a $100,000 bond.