Joliet Homicide: Sheriff Arrests Jerald Shumpert, 47

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Sheriff's Office charged 47-year-old Jerald Shumpert in connection with the Feb. 4 gunshot death of 26-year-old Leelinn Fox at an overnight house party along Maple Road.

Shumpert was charged Wednesday with being an armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. His new bail is $1 million. Even though Fox's death was ruled a homicide, Shumpert has not been charged with murder.

Shumpert was at the Will County Courthouse on Wednesday morning for his pending felony case from November 2019 involving allegations of dealing heroin when deputies took him into custody. Shumpert faces three counts of manufacture and delivery of heroin in that particular case.

Around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, Will County sheriff's deputies rushed to the 1500 block of Maple Road in Joliet Township for shots fired. At the property, Fox was bleeding from the head from a gunshot wound. The East Joliet Fire department rushed Fox to Silver Cross Hospital, where he died.

"A key piece of evidence led detectives to identify Shumpert as a person of interest in this investigation. After gathering enough evidence, detectives were able to determine that Shumpert was the only suspect in the homicide investigation of Leelinn Fox," Will County Sheriff's officials posted on their Facebook page on Wednesday.

Shumpert was booked into the Will County Jail at 3:34 p.m. Wednesday.

Original Joliet Patch coverage:

Joliet House Party Homicide: Neighbor Not Surprised By Killing