Man Suspected of Killing 8 in Illinois Mass Shootings Dead from Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound After Manhunt

Romeo Nance, 23, is believed to have died by suicide Monday after allegedly killing eight people in Joliet, Ill.

• Romeo Nance, 23, is accused of killing eight people in separate shootings that occurred in Joliet, Ill., outside of Chicago

• Police believe he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday night during a confrontation with authorities in Texas

• Five of the fatal victims were found Monday morning in one residence while two others were found dead in a separate home on the same street

A man suspected of killing eight people in a series of mass shootings in Illinois on Monday is believed to have died by suicide during a confrontation with Texas law enforcement, authorities said.

Police believe the gunman, identified as Romeo Nance, 23, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday night near Natalia, Texas, where members of the U.S. Marshals Service had found him after a brief manhunt, according to a press release shared by the Joliet Police Department.

Nance had been wanted by authorities since being accused of killing at least eight people in two separate homes on the same street in Joliet, Ill., near Chicago. Five of the fatal victims were found Monday morning in one residence while two others were found dead in a separate home, both located on West Acres Road, police said. All of the victims had been shot.

Police quickly identified Nance as a suspect, and believed he was also involved in two other shootings, one fatal, that happened Sunday in the city. The fatal shooting was being investigated by the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

By Monday night, “the Joliet Police Department learned that Nance had been located by US Marshals near Natalia, Texas, at which time it is believed that Nance took his own life with a handgun following a confrontation with Texas law enforcement officials,” the press release states.

It remained unclear what Nance's possible motive for the violence was or why he was discovered nearly 1,000 miles away from the crime scene.

"I've been a policeman [for] 29 years. This is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with,” Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans told reporters, according to ABC News.

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Authorities believe Nance knew the shooting victims, ABC News and BBC reported.

According to police, the Will County Coroner's Office will determine the victims’ identities and manners of death. It’s unclear at this time if the victims are related in any way. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.

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