Police are looking for a suspect who is deemed “armed and dangerous” after six individuals were discovered dead in two separate Illinois residences on Monday afternoon.
Authorities in Joliet are looking for Romeo Nance, who is believed to have fled in a red Toyota Camry with license plate Q730412 after fatally shooting seven people in residences across the street from each other in the 2200 block of West Acres Road, according to police chief Bill Evans at a Monday evening press conference.
According to Evans, Nance, 23, knew the victims and is suspected to be related to them.
“I’ve been a police officer for 29 years. Evans told reporters, “This is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been involved with.”
Evans stressed that Nance “should be regarded as armed and dangerous.”
Nance is accused of being involved in two separate shootings in unincorporated Joliet Township the day before, in which 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare was killed and a 42-year-old man suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to investigators.
Police stated that the gunshots looked to be random, and Nance’s vehicle was seen at both crime scenes.
Will County Deputy Chief Dan Jungles said his car was traced to two residences on West Acres Road in Joliet, where officers set up surveillance around midnight Monday.
Around noon, authorities decided to approach one of Nance’s homes after his car failed to return.
Officers “located blood outside the residence and made entry, where they found two deceased individuals,” Jungles stated.
Officers then went to the property across the street, where Nance had connections, and discovered five more dead victims.
Evans said Monday’s killings “have some correlation” with the weekend shootings, but declined to explain.
Authorities did not reveal a motive for the shootings and asked locals to remain watchful while Nance is on the run.