Update: Police Say Murdered Ex-Con Was Looking To Buy Drugs

A Romeoville man gunned down Wednesday night in the front yard of a home in Lockport Township was looking to buy drugs when he was killed, police said.

Deputies responding to a call of shots fired shortly after 11 p.m. found mortally wounded 22-year-old Dylan Somma unresponsive in the Barry Avenue yard.

Somma was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and died there.

“Sheriff’s deputies and detectives secured the scene and transported several witnesses to the sheriff’s investigation division to be interviewed,” police said. “At this time it appears that Somma was in the area to purchase drugs when an altercation took place.”

Somma was shot once in the chest. His autopsy was scheduled for Thursday morning.

The killer remains at large.

In February 2014, Somma was taken into custody for the murder of 15-year-old Briana Valle. Somma ran from the cops after Briana was shot, but later explained that it was because he had warrants out for his arrest charging him with burglary, attempted burglary and aggravated battery.

Briana’s real killer — her former boyfriend, 25-year-old Erick Maya — was apprehended a short time later.

Maya was found guilty and sentenced to 122 years in prison.

Somma was called to testify at Maya’s murder trial. He was still in prison at the time and was brought to Joliet from Sheridan Correctional Center to take the witness stand.

Somma refused to talk about Maya or to point at him when asked to do so by a prosecutor.

“I ain’t here to testify on anybody,” Somma said.