A judge denied pretrial release for a Joliet man charged with the fatal shooting of a mother and her 4-year-old child after prosecutors argued he poses a “grave, ongoing threat” to the public.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on Friday granted a request from prosecutors to keep Joseph Johnson, 29, in jail after he was charged with the Jan. 25 first-degree murder of Joselynn Diaz-Garcia, 36, and her son, Gianni Reyes, in Joliet.

Bertani-Tomczak based her decision on the nature of the charges and the risk of Johnson’s threat to the community.

During Friday’s court hearing, Johnson’s attorney, Sean Brown, suggested there is a second person who is responsible based on the information from the prosecutors.

“There is no evidence of that,” said Wiktoria Oginski, Will County assistant state’s attorney.

Johnson was a roommate of Diaz-Garcia at a residence in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue. No motive has been uncovered in the incident, according to Joliet police officials.

Oginski said the “brutality” and circumstances of the fatal shooting demonstrate Johnson’s ongoing threat to the community.

“This was not accidental or reckless discharge. It was targeted, repeated gunfire at a defenseless toddler and his mother,” Oginski said.

She said Johnson made statements that demonstrate “consciousness of guilt and malice.”

Johnson was accused of yelling, “[expletive], you dead!” toward the direction of the victims as officers were attempting to gather his name and information on the incident, according to prosecutors.

Oginski said Johnson making that statement while the victims were on the ground “dying reflects a severe lack of remorse.”

Oginski said Johnson also poses a flight risk because he faces a mandatory life sentence in prison.

She said Johnson demonstrated “impulsive flight behavior” when he was found by officers, shirtless and shoeless, in subzero weather after the shooting.

Oginski said Johnson has an “extreme disregard for life,” he poses a “grave, ongoing threat” to the public and he has an “overwhelming incentive” to flee.

Brown said Johnson is a high school graduate with three children ages 10, 8 and 4, who are living with a family member. He recommended Johnson’s jail release so he could provide for those children.

When Bertani-Tomczak asked Brown whether Johnson was employed, Brown said he receives Social Security benefits and supports the children through that program.

Brown said he believes this case is Johnson’s first one involving violent felony charges.

He said based on the information from prosecutors, there appears to be no DNA linking his client to the incident and no one identifying him as the shooter.

Brown said witnesses indicated they saw a shooter near train tracks in the area, yet Johnson was found at a residence face down with a gunshot wound to his leg.

“To me, that would indicate circumstances of a second shooter,” Brown said.

Joliet police officials have said they believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

Oginski said numerous witnesses reported seeing a “shirtless and shoeless” person holding and firing a firearm.