Romeo Nance Found Dead After Massive Manhunt Took Place

The massive manhunt for Romeo Nance has come to an end after police found the 23-year-old several miles away from where the crimes occurred.

As previously reported by The Blast, police were looking for Nance, who was considered to be "armed & dangerous" after multiple bodies were found dead from gunshot wounds in two different homes on Monday.

He is also a suspect in two other shootings that occurred on Sunday.

After a massive manhunt took place, Romeo Nance was found by police in Natalia, Texas -- several miles away from where the crimes happened in Jolet, Illinois. After being confronted by law enforcement, Nance turned a gun on himself. He died by suicide, police have confirmed.

It’s unclear how the 23-year-old got from Illinois to Texas.

“I’ve been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with,” Joliet Police Chief William Evans said during a news conference Monday evening.

Seven bodies were found in two different homes Monday around 3 p.m. after a 911 call came through. Police arrived at the scene, where they knocked on the door of the home, however, there was no answer.

“When they received no response, they knew the house across the street was related to the individuals that resided at that house, and they walked over there,” Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief of Operations Dan Jungles said.

When police went to knock on the second home's door, they noticed blood, which prompted them to enter the home. That is when they found two other bodies dead from shotgun wounds.

After learning of the incident, one neighbor addressed the shootings, admitting the entire situation was “frightening.”

“It’s frightening that this is so close to home. I literally live like probably four houses down, and I have a young daughter, and it’s crazy,” Laura Bane said according to CBS. “This is a neighborhood – there’s a park right down the street. It’s crazy that there are young kids – they get off the bus right here.”

One day earlier, a different 911 call came in to report a shooting at the Pheasant Run Apartments in Joliet Township. After police arrived on the scene, they found a man with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The man was transported to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, he was later pronounced dead.

In another shooting, which occurred 10 minutes before the Sunday incident, police found a 42-year-old man with non-life-threatening injuries. He was shot in the leg.

A red Toyota Camry, believed to be Nance's car, was seen at both of these scenes, which is why he is believed to be the suspect in all of these shootings. Police believe the victims and the shooter knew each other, however, a motive is still under investigation.

Nance has a history with police, as he was arrested in 2023 after being accused of firing a gun at a woman multiple times as she was driving.