A man suspected of shooting eight people dead across three homes in Chicago took his own life after a police standoff.
Romeo Nance had been on the run since the bodies were discovered in the city’s suburbs on Sunday, Jan. 21, and Monday, Jan. 22.
US marshals tracked the 23-year-old down to a petrol station near Natalia, Texas at 8.30pm on Monday where, following a standoff, he shot and killed himself.
Police say they do not know the motives behind the killings but believe Nance knew the victims.
The eight bodies found on Monday were members of the same family, they said, but would not confirm if Nance was related to them.
Residents living near those who died had been left on edge for two days as officers warned Nance was on the loose and should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
One of the people killed was found on Sunday in a home in Will County. Seven others were discovered on Monday at two homes on the same block in Joliet, located about six miles northwest of the first discovery.
Authorities said they also suspect Nance was behind another shooting in Joliet that injured a man on 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,” Joliet police chief William Evans said during a news conference on Monday evening.
One of the properties was Nance’s last known address, police revealed.
They said they didn’t yet know how long the victims in the houses had been dead, with postmortems still pending.
Resident Teresa Smart lives about a block away from where the Joliet victims were found.
Speaking before Nance was caught, she said: “This is way too close to home. I keep looking out the window and double-checking my doors. It’s super scary.”
