Joliet man linked to mass shooting freed from jail last year after making bail

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated a Will County judge denied a bond reduction motion, which was stated in the court docket in the case.

A Joliet man recently linked to the fatal shooting of eight people was freed from jail in a 2023 shooting case after someone identifying herself as his sister came up with money needed to free him from jail, court records show.

On Jan. 26, 2023, Romeo Nance, 23, of Joliet, was taken to the Will County jail on a $100,000 bond warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.

Those charges concerned a Jan. 3, 2023, incident unrelated to the recent deaths linked to Nance. On Monday, authorities said Nance was a suspect in the shooting deaths of eight people in the Joliet area and a non-fatal shooting of a ninth person.

Nance shot and killed himself in Texas following a confrontation with law enforcement there, according to Joliet police officials.

Last year, Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins signed a warrant carrying the $100,000 bond for Nance on Jan. 24, 2023, on shooting charges filed against him for the Jan. 3, 2023, incident. Nance was accused of firing a gun at the direction of Buick Enclave occupied by a woman.

On Feb. 17, 2023, Nance’s attorneys sought to lower Nance’s bond to $20,000 so he could get released from jail.

The defense motion said Nance was the father of a 3-year-old child and was employed. The motion also alleged that Nance was involved in a “road rage incident” and he was chased by the Buick Enclave he was accused of shooting.

On March 10, 2023, the bail bond deposit listed a woman who said she was his sister posted 10% of the $100,000 bond needed for Nance’s release from jail, according to court records. A bail bond deposit sheet filed in court showed $9,588 was paid in cash and $412 by credit card.

Nance was released from jail the same day.

The court docket shows Nance appeared at court hearings after his release and his last appearance was on Nov. 20, 2023. His case was scheduled for a pretrial conference on Feb. 1.

Last year, Nance had been charged in one felony case and two misdemeanor cases. Those cases had remained pending in court.

Nance was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly obstructing a Joliet police officer from arresting him Jan. 26, 2023, by breaking away from and fleeing the officer during an arrest. He also was charged with possessing a Bersa .380-caliber handgun without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card.

The other misdemeanor case accused Nance of striking an inmate on Feb. 8, 2023, at the jail.

Nance was charged with a felony after he was allegedly damaged a glass portion of a cell door on Feb. 15, 2023, at the Will County jail.

In 2019, Nance was charged with an Oct. 22, 2019, robbery and theft of cellphones, as well as unlawful possession of marijuana. Nance pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of marijuana while other charges were dropped and he was sentenced Nov. 16, 2020, to serve two years of probation.