On Monday afternoon, the Joliet Police Department reported that an investigation and manhunt are underway after seven people were found dead in two homes in Illinois.
The police confirmed during a press conference on Monday evening that the seven people were shot to death.
Joliet Police Detectives are currently searching for Romeo Nance, the suspected gunman, who is believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry with the license plate number Q730412. The police believed that Nance was acquainted with the victims and that they were relatives.
"In my 29 years on the force, this is the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with," police told local reporters during the press conference.
According to detectives, there is an ongoing investigation, and Nance should be considered armed and dangerous. The identities of those victims were still not released. Nance is also wanted in connection to multiple other shootings.
The officials stated shortly before 4:30 pm on Sunday that when they arrived at the apartment building, they discovered a man bleeding from the head from an apparent gunshot wound. The officials told WGN 9 that the victim later passed away.
The victim was later identified as Toyosi Bakare, 28, from Nigeria, residing in the US for almost three years. According to the officials, a 42-year-old man was shot in the leg and had non-life-threatening injuries about ten minutes before the fatal shooting.
The officials claimed that the plate numbers on the vehicle that authorities believe Nance is driving match the vehicle spotted near both shooting scenes on Sunday. According to the Patch and court records, Nance was charged about a year ago after he made several attempts to shoot a woman. Police found him close to his home and arrested him after their brief argument.
Furthermore, the court records claimed that Nance was charged as part of Operation New Year's Resolution and was released after posting $1,000 of a $100,000 bond.
Deadly Willowbrook Shooting in Illinois
The authorities reported that at least one person was killed and 22 others were injured by gunfire in a peaceful Juneteenth celebration that turned tragic overnight in Illinois.
The celebration started at around 6 pm on Saturday, and the police were at the site to monitor the event. The police were dispatched in response to a 911 call saying a fight nearby around 12:25 am.
"As deputies responded, they heard gunshots and immediately returned to the scene of the gathering," the sheriff's office said.
The shooting happened around 12:30 am in a Willowbrook parking lot about 21 miles west of Chicago. According to the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, an unidentified number of suspects fired multiple rounds from various weapons into the large crowd celebrating Juneteenth.
The chaos caused several more injuries as people tried to escape the scene. The sheriff's office said that the victims received medical attention at nearby hospitals.
