Small Child Slain, Adult Killed During Joliet's First Homicides Of 2026

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department has advised that a young child and an adult were murdered on Sunday morning in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue. Police spokesman Dwayne English said his detectives have one person of interest in custody, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

UPDATE: Little Boy, Mom Murdered In Joliet: Chief Bill Evans Reveals Gunman Under Police Guard At Loyola

Joliet police told Patch they learned of the incident at 6:55 a.m. Sunday. They said the crime scene is both indoors and outdoors, stretching to the railroad tracks across Ward Avenue.

Several people could be seen on the home's front porch Sunday morning speaking with police, while officers and crime scene detectives were going in and out of the house.

Police told Patch they expect to share an update at a 3 p.m. news conference.

Earlier, the Joliet Police Department issued a Facebook bulletin confirming there has been a homicide, the first for the city in 2026. Officers and detectives were investigating the homicide as of 9 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue on the east side.

"This is a fluid investigation, and further details will be provided as they become available," the agency stated.

Last week, despite the bone-chilling cold, Joliet witnessed lots of violence as a 15-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to his mouth and another 15-year-old boy was arrested as the apparent shooter, stemming from violence in the parking lot of the Riverwalk Homes public housing projects off Broadway and Hickory Streets.

Less than 24 hours later, a 51-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to her abdomen while she was inside the living room of a house. She was shot during a drive-by shooting on the east side, around Second Avenue, in a shooting that also damaged other homes and vehicles as the gunman fired more than 20 rounds of his ammunition before getting away from the scene.