Joliet, Illinois — A quiet neighborhood was shattered by violence on January 25, 2026, when police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue. What officers discovered upon arrival was a heartbreaking scene that has left the community reeling: a woman and her young son found unresponsive in the backyard of a residence, both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Authorities later identified the woman as 36-year-old Joselynn Diaz Garcia. Her 4-year-old son, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced dead alongside his mother at the scene. The loss of two lives—especially one so young—has sent waves of grief through Joliet and beyond.

According to Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans, callers also reported seeing a shirtless man running near nearby train tracks and discarding a firearm. Responding officers soon located a 29-year-old man suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his ankle. A firearm was recovered close by, and investigators believe spent shell casings at the scene are consistent with that weapon.