A man faces multiple counts of first-degree murder in connection to the shooting deaths of a woman and her young son in Joliet over the weekend, authorities said.
Joseph Johnson, 29, of Joliet, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder, according to a news release from Joliet police.
Officers and detectives responded to a residence in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue on the east side of the southwest suburb shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday, after multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the area. Some callers said they had seen a shirtless man get rid of a firearm as he ran near some train tracks, according to police. Satellite images of the home address show it is located approximately 100 feet from the railroad tracks.
In the backyard, responding officers found the woman, identified as 36-year-old Joselynn Diaz-Garcia, and her 4-year-old son, both unresponsive and having suffered apparent gunshot wounds. The Will County coroner’s office pronounced both dead at the scene.
Officers also located an unharmed 8-year-old boy in a bedroom. The Fire Department took the child to St. Joseph Medical Center “as a precaution,” police said.
Johnson was found near the residence with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his ankle, which police believe was self-inflicted. The Joliet Fire Department took him to Silver Cross Hospital, and he was later transferred to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood under police guard.
Authorities on Wednesday said Johnson remained hospitalized at Loyola under police guard. Once he’s released from medical care, Johnson will be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.
Joliet police Chief Bill Evans, in a statement, extended his condolences “to the family and to everyone in our community who is touched by this awful and unnecessary act of violence.” He vowed to “continue to seek justice while surrounding this family and our city with compassion and support.”
Detectives were continuing to investigate. Authorities did not state the relationship between Johnson and the victims.
Loved ones and friends have appeared to launch two separate fundraisers for the family of Diaz-Garcia and her son, who they identified as Gianni Reyes.
“Gianni brought joy and light into our lives,” a GoFundMe page for her son read, which as of Wednesday afternoon had amassed just over $3,700. “He was a son to all of us, and he was deeply loved by, especially by his grandparents, aunts and uncles who cared for him as his own.”
Another GoFundMe, organized on behalf of Diaz-Garcia’s father, had raised nearly $5,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
Chicago Tribune’s Adriana Pérez contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/joliet-double-homicide-woman-child-police-charge-arrest/
