In Chicago, eight people were tragically killed at three different locations on Sunday, leading to an ongoing manhunt as the suspect remains at large, as per Illinois authorities. Joliet and Will County police stated that they are not aware of the motive behind the killings, but the assailant appears to have known the victims. The FBI's fugitive task force is aiding local police in their efforts to locate the suspect, according to Joliet Police Chief William Evans.
The victims were discovered on Sunday and Monday at three distinct locations, authorities revealed during a press conference on Monday evening. Prior to this announcement, a social media warning had been issued urging the public to consider the suspect as "armed and dangerous." One of the victims was found in a Will County home on Sunday, while seven others were found on Monday at two residences in Joliet. Authorities believe that another shooting in Joliet on Sunday, which injured a man, is linked to this series of violent incidents. However, they refrained from discussing specific evidence at this time.
Chief Deputy Dan Jungles of Will County mentioned during the news conference that law enforcement had been monitoring one of the houses since Sunday evening in case the suspect returned. When no activity was observed, deputies approached the houses, discovering the first set of victims in one of them. Autopsies are pending to determine the duration of their demise. Joliet Police Chief Evans, describing the crime scene, expressed, “I've been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with.”
The victims found on Monday were identified as family members, and while Chief Jungles could not confirm if they were related to the suspect, he affirmed that the suspect was acquainted with them.
Earlier in the day, Joliet Police had issued a Facebook post, stating that they were investigating multiple deaths and shared the suspect's photo along with images of a red Toyota Camry, identified as the vehicle associated with the crime scenes. The Will County Sheriff's Office had previously shared images of the same car, linking it to two separate Sunday afternoon shootings.