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A quiet Joliet neighborhood is in mourning after a mother and her young son were gunned down Sunday morning.
The Will County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 36-year-old Joselynn Diaz-Garcia and her 4-year-old son.
Police rushed to the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue just before 7 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing nearly a dozen gunshots.
Officers discovered the mother and child unresponsive in their own backyard.
A 9-year-old boy with special needs was found physically unharmed inside the home.
Witnesses told police they saw a shirtless man toss a gun near train tracks while fleeing the scene.
Officers quickly located a 29-year-old man suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his ankle.
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans confirmed that a firearm and matching shell casings were recovered at the scene.
The man remains in police custody at a local hospital, though formal charges have not yet been filed.
A small memorial now sits just steps from the family’s front door as the community struggles to process the violence.
Friends and loved ones have flooded social media with emotional tributes for the victims.
“My heart feels so heavy for your surviving child and your immediate family,” one person wrote. “I love you Joselynn Diaz-Garcia.”
Another mourner expressed disbelief, stating, “This is so heartbreaking. How can someone be so heartless and do this to them?”
The loss has left a deep void for those who knew the family.
“My whole heart aches as I send my deepest condolences… rest in peace, beautiful souls,” shared a family friend.
One heartbreaking post read, “Didn’t want to believe it was really you… I’m so sorry this happened to you and your baby boy.”
Investigators are urging anyone with surveillance footage or information to contact the Joliet Police Department.
