Current:Home > MyMan suspected of killing 8 outside Chicago fatally shoots self in Texas confrontation, police say -Blueprint Wealth Network
Man suspected of killing 8 outside Chicago fatally shoots self in Texas confrontation, police say
View
Date:2025-04-12 19:26:43
CHICAGO (AP) — A man suspected of shooting and killing eight people in suburban Chicago fatally shot himself after a confrontation with law enforcement officials at a gas station in Texas, where he had no known ties, authorities said.
Police in Joliet, Illinois, said on Facebook that at about 8:30 p.m. Monday, U.S. Marshals located Romeo Nance, 23, near Natalia, Texas, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio, and that Nance shot himself. His death was announced just hours after Illinois authorities used social media and a news conference to share initial details of the killings there.
“It seems like they (criminal suspects) all head to Mexico,” which is about 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of Natalia along Interstate 35, Medina County, Texas, Sheriff Randy Brown said Tuesday.
Brown said the sheriff’s office received a call Monday about a person suspected in the Chicago-area killings heading into the county on I-35. Officers from multiple agencies then confronted Nance, Brown said. Brown said his office’s only role in the standoff near Natalia was to support other law enforcement agencies at the scene and referred other questions to U.S. Marshals and Joliet police.
Natalia is more than 1,000 miles (1,690 kilometers) from Joliet, where Nance is suspected of fatally shooting eight people at three locations in the Chicago suburbs. The police search for him left neighbors on edge for several hours Monday after police warned he was still on the loose and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Authorities in Illinois previously said they did not know of a motive for the killings, but said Nance knew the victims. The FBI’s fugitive task force had been assisting local police in the search for the suspect, Joliet Police Chief William Evans said.
The victims were found Sunday and Monday at three separate homes, authorities told reporters at a news conference earlier Monday evening.
One of the people killed was found with an apparent gunshot wound Sunday outside of apartments in Will County and pronounced dead at a hospital. He was identified by the Will County Sheriff’s Office as a 28-year-old man originally from Nigeria who had been living in the U.S. for about three years.
Seven other bodies were found Monday at two homes on the same block in Joliet, located about about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) northwest of the scene police discovered first.
Will County Chief Deputy Dan Jungles said he did not have any indication yet of how long the people in the houses had been dead. Autopsies were pending, he said.
Authorities said they also believe Nance was connected to another shooting in Joliet that wounded a man Sunday but would not discuss their evidence.
“I’ve been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with,” Evans said during a news conference outside the Joliet homes Monday evening.
Evans said the victims found Monday in the houses were family members. Asked if the victims were members of the suspect’s family, Jungles said he could not comment except to say the suspect knew them.
Teresa Smart lives about a block away from where seven of the victims were found and had said she was worried she and her family would not be able to sleep Monday night.
“This is way too close to home,” she said, adding that police cars had been blocking streets throughout the neighborhood.
“I keep looking out the window and double checking my doors,” she said. “It’s super scary.”
___
Miller reported from Edmond, Oklahoma. Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin; Claire Savage in Chicago; and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington; contributed to this report.
veryGood! (27)
Related
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Broncos release two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons, team's longest-tenured player
- State AGs send letter to Meta asking it to take ‘immediate action’ on user account takeovers
- Millions of Americans overseas can vote — but few do. Here's how to vote as an American living abroad.
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- What to know about abortion provider Dr. Caitlin Bernard, a guest at State of the Union
- Feds investigating suspected smuggling at Wisconsin prison, 11 workers suspended in probe
- State AGs send letter to Meta asking it to take ‘immediate action’ on user account takeovers
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Where to find Stanley Easter tumblers now that they've sold out
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC in Champions Cup: Will Messi play? Live updates, how to watch.
- Mason Disick Proves He Can Keep Up With His Stylish Family in New Fit Check
- Why Elon Musk and so many others are talking about birth control right now
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Transit crime is back as a top concern in some US cities, and political leaders have taken notice
- Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo Memphis’ traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death
- Law-abiding adults can now carry guns openly in South Carolina after governor approves new law
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Inter Miami star Jordi Alba might not play vs. Nashville SC in Champions Cup. Here's why.
MLB's best teams keep getting bounced early in October. Why is World Series so elusive?
Watch kids' cute reaction after deployed dad sneaks into family photo to surprise them
Average rate on 30
Apple releases iOS 17.4 update for iPhone: New emoji, other top features
Massachusetts bill aims to make child care more accessible and affordable
Ground cinnamon sold at discount retailers contaminated with lead, FDA urges recall