Izzy's Murder Suspect In Custody: JPD

JOLIET, IL - The Joliet Police Department say the suspect of Friday morning's deadly shooting inside Izzy's Bar at 507 Theodore St is in custody. Joliet Police released a statement late Friday morning declaring that Patrick K. Gleason, who lives in the 1600 block of Dearborn Street in Crest Hill, is the homicide suspect. Police say they are working closely with the Will County State's Attorney's Office to bring charges against Gleason.

The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m., which is about 45 minutes before the Joliet bar closed. Two people were shot in the bar, Joliet Police said. The 911 caller told police that patrons in Izzy's had "disarmed the suspect and they currently had him detained. Shortly thereafter, officers arrived on the scene and assisted in securing both the suspect and the weapon," Joliet Police announced.

Later on Friday, the Office of Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil updated their news media hotline confirming that the fatal shooting victim was Daniel Rios III of Joliet. The 52-year-old died from a single gunshot wound to his head. Woodlawn Funeral Service in Joliet will handle the arrangements for Rios who grew up in Joliet and was well-known and liked by a ton of people. The other person who was seriously injured and is in critical condition is the son of the bar's owner, Alfonso "Izzy" Izquierdo. He told a Chicago television station that his son was shot in the abdomen. He was airlifted from Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet to the Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Patch was told.

Rios already was dead when Joliet's Fire Department's ambulance arrived at Izzy's. However, both Gleason and Izzy's son were taken to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

On Friday morning, Joliet's WJOL radio broke the news of the overnight slaying, obtaining a short statement from Joliet Chief of Police Brian Benton indicating that, "A suspect walked in and reportedly shot and killed the bartender." The chief also indicated there was a struggle between the gunman and other bar patrons, causing someone else to get shot.

On Friday morning, several people told Joliet Patch and Chicago's TV stations that the homicide victim was Danny Rios. Friends of his were expressing their grief and sorrow on his Facebook page. According to his bio, Rios had worked at Nicor, he attended Joliet Junior College and was a graduate of Joliet Central. On occasion, Rios would tend bar at Izzy's but he was also a regular customer, patrons told Patch.

One person commented, "R.I.P. Danny Rios, gone too soon, prayers for kids, family and friends."

Another person posted a picture with Rios declaring, "We Love You."

Others commented, "Literally at a loss for words. May you Rest In Peace."

"So sorry."

"R.I.P. Danny Rios. I have known you since our youth."

On Friday morning, one Joliet Police car was parked about a block north of the bar while a second Joliet Police car was parked in the back of the property owner's driveway, by his detached garage. This was the home of the apparent murder suspect.

At one point while news media outlets were filming the Joliet Police officers guarding the house, a U.S. postal worker was making rounds in the neighborhood. The lettercarrier approached the front door to put the mail into the home, and that's when the Joliet Police officer positioned on Dearborn Street yelled to the carrier "to hold all the mail for that address right now."

By 9 a.m. several Chicago television stations had descended on the parking lot. There were several Joliet Police cars parked around at Izzy's, but they were mostly on standby, guarding the perimeter. A couple of people who were customers at Izzy's on Thursday night arrived on Friday morning and gained permission from the Joliet Police to retrieve their vehicles that were still parked in front of the bar.

Looking into the building from the sidewalk on Theodore Street, you could see two large smears of blood on the floor inside of Izzy's Bar. One large blood stain was near the bar and the other was toward the door by one of the tables. Several beers and soft drinks were lined up on the bar and some of the lights were still on.

Some of the regular bar patrons who stopped on Friday for interviews with news media outlets said that Izzy's was open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Izzy's has been around for decades and has been a popular local hangout. A lot of people who frequented the Harrah's Casino in downtown Joliet would go there, one local business owner remarked.

Representatives of Izzy's posted a statement on their Facebook page on Friday morning informing their friends and followers that "We will be closed until further notice. Please keep Izzys family and friends in your thoughts and prayers."

"Izzy and Rose Prayers to you and Thomas. You are in my thoughts and prayers," one person responded.

Ryan Stebbins works across the street from Izzy's at Duke's Landscape Services. Although he does not go the bars, he said that Izzy's has a good reputation and that there are never any problems there. He said that he had heard that the murder suspect, Gleason, had been previously kicked out of the bar and had been told numerous times in the past that his presence was not welcome at Izzy's.

"I heard he was not to be there at all," Stebbins told Joliet Patch.

Stebbins said the Joliet Police Department did an outstanding job responding to the scene quickly, apprehending the suspect and performing follow-up investigation all through the night and well into Friday.

"They were right on it," Stebbins said. "They took care of it. They definitely have done very good."

Stebbins said it just boggles his mind to know that someone walked into Izzy's during the early morning hours and committed a targeted, premeditated killing.

"It just feels really weird. It just sucks that it happens in our town," he said. "It's a crazy world we live in. Anything can happen."

This is a developing story. We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

Images via John Ferak, Joliet Patch Editor