Joliet Had More Than 60 Shooting Victims In 2018

JOLIET, IL - February appears to be one of Joliet's highest months in recent history in terms of the total number of gunshot victims. At least 10 people were victims of gunshot wounds. On Feb. 27, Joliet Police found two small children among the three homicide victims at 503 Whitley Ave. Police determined Brandyn Lee killed his own kids and his girlfriend, before turning the gun on himself.

• On Feb. 24, Eugene Holmes, 27, was fatally shot around 1:45 a.m. after a car pulled up to a house in the 400 block of South Ottawa Street and opened fire.
• On Feb. 22, two men, ages 20 and 30, suffered gunshot wounds during a drive-by at 4th Avenue and Union Street.
• On Feb. 21, Javier Cayetano, 13, was gunned down in an alley in the 300 block of South May Street while two other juveniles suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds.
• On Feb. 13, a 24-year-old Joliet man was injured in a mid-afternoon drive-by shooting near Jefferson Street and Raynor Avenue.

While 10 shooting victims may seem like a lot for Joliet, February's totals were not drastically different than the city's totals for December, which was an unseasonably warm month. December had a total of nine shooting victims. Only one was a homicide. December was one of three months last year where Joliet totaled nine shooting victims.

Prior to the recent surge in shootings, Joliet Patch submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Joliet Police Department. The request asked police for locations, ages of shooting victims, dates and times for all shooting cases where someone was injured or killed last year.

According to the data, Joliet had 61 shootings, averaging five shootings every month last year. The three busiest months for Joliet Police were last June, July and December.

September was also a busy month, too.

December: 9
November: 4
October: 2
September: 8
August: 4
July: 9
June: 9
May: 7
April: 3
March: 3
February: 2
January: 1

Overall, Joliet Police solved most of the city's gun-related homicides last year. The Joliet Police Department also solved a non-fatal triple shooting that occurred in the parking lot near the Eden's tavern in the 900 block of Gardner Street. Alonzo Gadson, 37, was charged with three counts of attempted murder and his case is set to go to trial in the coming weeks.

Regarding some of the notable non-fatal shootings that remain unsolved, the Will County Crime Stoppers is still offering major cash rewards for information leading to criminal charges.

Here's a summary of the data provided to Joliet Patch regarding the shootings that were handled by the Joliet Police Department for 2018:

DECEMBER: Gunshot victims: 9

Dec. 27, 2 victims, Joliet woman, 36, and Joliet man, 29, 4:37 a.m., 500 block of Macomber Avenue.

Dec. 23, 2 victims, homicide victim Jermaine Peete, 19, and a Romeoville man, 22, 12:26 a.m., 600 block of Dover Street. Daniel Briceno, 18,was charged in both shootings.

Dec. 22, Crest Hill man, 19, 6:35 p.m. Larkin Avenue and Theodore Street.

Dec. 21, Joliet man, 19, 3 p.m., 1100 block of Parkwood Drive.

Dec. 7, Joliet man, 20, 0-100 block of McDonough Street.

Dec. 5, Joliet woman, 52, 10:15 p.m., Duncan Street and River Street.

Dec. 1, Joliet man, 22, 9:34 p.m. 400 block of Grant Avenue.

NOVEMBER: Gunshot victims: 4

Nov. 29, Joliet male, 16, 8:28 p.m. 500 block of S. Eastern Avenue

Nov. 16, Joliet man, 21, 9:51 p.m. 800 block of Summit Street

Nov. 14, Joliet male, 15, 5:44 p.m., 1000 block of Lois Place

Nov. 4, Joliet male, 16, 8:23 p.m., 400 block of Grant Avenue

OCTOBER: 2 gunshot victims

Oct. 21, Joliet man, 33, 2:30 a.m. 1000 block of North Hickory Street

Oct. 3, Lockport man, 29, 8 p.m. Fairview Avenue and Juniper Street

SEPTEMBER: 8 gunshot victims

Sept. 26, Lockport man, 26, 12:26 p.m., Fairmont and Juniper Street

Sept. 21, Joliet man, 28, 9:58 a.m., 400 block of State Street

Sept. 16, Joliet man, 27, 12:54 a.m., 400 block of Landau Avenue

Sept. 15, Joliet male, 15, 600 block of Virginia Street

Sept. 12, Joliet man, 19, 3:07 p.m., 1200 block of North Center Street

Sept. 8, Joliet man, 20, 12:35 a.m., 200 block of Reichman Street

Sept. 3, Joliet man, 26, 11:59 p.m., 400 block of Elwood Avenue,

Sept. 1, Chicago man, 32, 7:57 p.m., 300 block of North Broadway.

AUGUST: 4 gunshot victims

Aug. 24, Joliet man, 20, 4:17 p.m, 100 block of Casseday Avenue

Aug. 18, Joliet man, 40, 8:44 p.m., 200 block of West Jefferson Street

Aug. 16, Park Forest man, 19, 9:42 a.m., 110 block of Nicholson Street

Aug. 11, Eric Ervins, 24, formerly of Lake Station, Indiana, fatally shot on The Hill, 10:31 p.m., 800 block of Cardinal Lane. His slaying remains unsolved.

JULY: 9 gunshot victims

July 30, 4 victims: Joliet man, 36, Joliet woman, 31, Joliet woman, 28, Virginia Beach woman, 24.

1:05 a.m., 400 block of South Ottawa Street

July 28, Joliet man, 31. 3:11 a.m., 900 block of Gardner Street

July 28, Joliet man, 26, 3:32 a.m., 600 block of Kungs Way

July 8, Joliet man, 59. 3:13 p.m., 100 block of Osgood Street

July 4, Joliet man, 18. 6:45 p.m., 400 block of Water Street

July 4 Romeoville woman, 18. 8:46 p.m., 900 block of Lois Place

JUNE: 9 gunshot victims

June 24, 3 victims: Joliet man, 35, Joliet man, 31, and Joliet man, 29. 12:46 a.m., 900 block of Gardner Street

June 14, Joliet man, 26. 10:20 p.m., 300 block of South Des Plaines Street

June 13, Joliet man, 24. 7:28 p.m., 300 block of Western Avenue

June 12, Joliet man, 35. 9:21 p.m., 100 block of Richards Street

June 2, 2 victims: Aurora woman, 32, Joliet girl, 14. 12:56 a.m., 1200 block of Pawnee Street

June 2, Joliet man, 20, 11:20 a.m., 200 block of East Mound Street,

MAY: 7 gunshot victims

May 31, Joliet man, 23, 2:40 a.m., 1000 block of Draper Avenue

May 26, Joliet man, 19, 12:45 a.m., 300 block of North Broadway Street

May 26, Joliet man, 38. 4:34 p.m., 200 block of 4th Avenue

May 21, Joliet man, 24, 12:10 p.m., 600 block of Collins Street

May 21, Urbana man, 27, 11:10 p.m., 800 block of Robin Lane

May 15, Joliet resident Donald M. Woods Jr., homicide victim. 4:51 p.m., 300 block of Sherman Street. Martell Ollie was charged with first-degree murder.

May 10, Joliet resident Keonte Cook, 19, 11:40 p.m., 1400 block of North Center Street. His murder remains unsolved.

APRIL: 3 gunshot victims

April 25, Joliet man, 24, 9:25 p.m., corner of Benton and Casseday,

April 24, little boy, 2, 7:40 p.m., 400 block of Landau Avenue

April 18, Joliet man, 19, 9:25 p.m., 400 block of Richards Street

MARCH: 3 gunshot victims

March 9, 2 victims, Danny Rios, 52, and Thomas Izquierdo, 26, was shot in the stomach, both were shot inside Izzy's Bar. Rios was fatally shot. An unwelcome patron at Izzy's, Patrick Gleason, was charged with the shootings. 1:12 a.m., 500 block of Theodore Street.

March 8, Lockport man, 44, 11:47 p.m., 900 block of North Hickory Street

FEBRUARY: 2 gunshot victims

Feb. 23, Morris man, 26, 11:30 p.m., 0-100 block of North Broadway Street

Feb. 11, Joliet man, 40, 8:03 p.m., 800 block of Robin Lane

JANUARY: 1 gunshot victim

Jan. 20, Joliet man, 36, 2:56 p.m., 200 block of 3rd Avenue