News / Society

Eight shot to death near Chicago, suspect kills self

Tuesday, 23 January 2024 8:24 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 23 January 2024 9:11 AM ]

US Police in the Chicago suburb of Joliet, Illinois, after multiple people were shot and killed on January 21 and January 22, 2023 at three locations. (Photo by AP)

Eight people have been found shot to death in three separate locations near Chicago in the US state of Illinois, police said, adding that the suspect shot himself after a manhunt.

The 23-year-old Romeo Nance shot himself after a confrontation with police from multiple agencies at a petrol station in Texas late Monday.

Nance was a suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people in the Chicago suburbs that sparked a search.

According to authorities, the first known victim among the eight was found on Sunday afternoon in Joliet Township.

The victim was identified as Toyosi Bakare, 28, originally from Nigeria who had been living in the US for nearly three years.

The seven others were found at two homes on the same block in Joliet, nearly 9.6km northwest of the first crime scene, after an investigation into the first shooting. The victims found on Monday in the houses were family members.

The motive in the shootings was unclear, but law enforcement officials said the suspect knew his victims.

“I’ve been a policeman 29 years. This is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with,” Joliet Police Chief William Evans said of the two adjacent homes.

Nance was also suspected of wounding a ninth person, a 42-year-old man, on Sunday.

Over the years, the US has topped the list of “civilian guns per capita”, as there are more guns in the US than people, amounting to 120 guns for every 100 Americans.

Medical professionals have expressed concerns regarding the prevalence and growth of gun violence in the US, even comparing gun violence in the US to a disease or epidemic.

However, attempts to clamp down on their spread are always met with stiff resistance.

Polls show a majority of voters favor stricter controls on the use and purchase of firearms. However, the gun-ownership lobby is highly influential and courts have ruled that the constitutional right to bear arms applies to private owners.

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