Romeo Alexander Nance

Romeo Nance was born in 2000 and lived in Joliet, Illinois. Public information about his early childhood and education remains limited, though law enforcement confirmed that he had a prior criminal history before the 2024 killings. In 2018, Nance was charged in connection with an armed robbery involving a knife. In January 2023, he was arrested for allegedly firing a weapon at another driver during a road rage incident, though details of the outcome of that case were not publicly disclosed at the time of the 2024 shootings.

By early 2024, Nance was living in Joliet and maintained contact with multiple family members who resided on the same block in the West Acres Road area.

On January 21, 2024, Romeo Nance carried out a series of shootings in and around Joliet, Illinois, killing eight people and injuring one. The violence unfolded over several locations and hours, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings in Illinois history.

At approximately 4:15 p.m. CST, Nance encountered a 42‑year‑old man in the 200 block of Davis Street who was retrieving items from his vehicle. The two briefly exchanged words after Nance stopped his car. After driving away and circling back, Nance opened fire, shooting the man in the leg before fleeing the scene. The victim survived.

Roughly ten minutes later, deputies from the Will County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Pheasant Run Apartments in Preston Heights, where Toyosi Bakare, age 28, was found with a gunshot wound to the head. Bakare was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Investigators later stated that Bakare was not a family member but was believed to have had some connection to Nance.

Using surveillance footage, authorities identified Nance as a suspect and located his vehicle. Shortly after midnight, deputies set up surveillance near his residence in the 2200 block of West Acres Road. After approximately twelve hours with no response, officers entered the home and discovered Tameaka Nance, age 47, and William Esters II, age 35, dead from gunshot wounds. Tameaka Nance was the shooter’s mother, and William Esters II was his uncle.

Officers then checked a second nearby residence on the same block, which was also occupied by Nance’s relatives. Inside, they found Christine Esters, age 37; Joshua Nance, age 31; Alexandria Nance, age 20; Angel Nance, age 14; and Alonnah Nance, age 16, all deceased from gunshot wounds. These five victims were members of Nance’s immediate family.

The eight people killed were Toyosi Bakare, Tameaka Nance, William Esters II, Christine Esters, Joshua Nance, Alexandria Nance, Angel Nance, and Alonnah Nance. All but Bakare were related to the shooter.

During the investigation, Jon W. Hansen told police that he had been with Nance during at least two of the shootings and claimed that Nance handed him the firearm used in one attack. Hansen stated that he later disposed of the weapon by throwing it into the DuPage River. A search of the river led to the recovery of a loaded Springfield Armory XDS pistol, which authorities believed was used in the killings.

After the shootings, Nance fled Illinois and drove south toward Texas. Investigators believe he stopped at a mall along the way and acquired Texas license plates in an attempt to evade detection. On the evening of January 22, 2024, U.S. Marshals located Nance near Natalia, Texas. Law enforcement confronted him at a gas station outside the town at approximately 8:30 p.m. CST. During the confrontation, Nance fatally shot himself with a handgun.