Murder Victim ID'd As Joliet Man: Coroner

JOLIET — The Will County Coroner's Office identified the man who was fatally shot early Sunday in Joliet Township as 34-year-old Branden C. Pierce.

According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, Pierce was killed early Sunday morning, shortly after midnight, in the 1300 block of Pico Court.

The sheriff's agency said it learned that two houses were struck by bullets. Pierce, a Joliet resident, was found inside one of the bedrooms with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. An East Joliet Fire Department ambulance rushed to him to Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The sheriff's office said video surveillance showed someone driving a vehicle in the area just before the shooting on Pico, adding that "this shooting appears to be an isolated targeted attack and not a random act of violence." Residents were asked to avoid the area as detectives continued to investigate the killing.