Joliet, Illinois – A Joliet man faces six counts of first-degree murder after a Jan. 25 shooting that killed a woman and her four-year-old son on the city’s west side.
According to the Joliet Police Department, Joseph D. Johnson, 29, of Joliet, was formally processed on the charges after being released from medical care earlier this week. Investigators allege Johnson is responsible for the shooting deaths of Joselynn Diaz-Garcia, 36, and her four-year-old son at a residence in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue.
Officers were called to the area around 6:55 a.m. Sunday after multiple 911 callers reported gunfire near Cleveland Avenue and Dillman Avenue, along with sightings of a shirtless man running near nearby train tracks. Police located Johnson suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the ankle, which authorities believe was self-inflicted.
Inside the residence, officers found the woman and child unresponsive outside the backyard with apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene after the Will County Coroner’s Office responded.
During a search of the home, officers also located an 8-year-old child with special needs unharmed in a bedroom. The child was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center as a precaution.
Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene, and spent shell casings appear to match that weapon. Johnson was initially transported to Silver Cross Hospital and later transferred to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood under police guard before being released to custody.
Johnson is currently being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility pending further court proceedings. Investigators said a motive remains unknown and the case remains under active investigation.
Anyone with video footage or information is urged to contact Joliet Police at 815-724-3020 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.
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