Joliet Township shooting wounds woman, no witness cooperation, police say

A woman was shot in the back about two weeks ago in Joliet Township and potential witnesses refused to speak with deputies investigating the incident, police said.

Deputies responded to the shooting about 11:30 p.m. Oct. 5 in the 1300 block of Pico Court, said Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles.

Deputies found a 34-year-old woman inside of a residence with a single gunshot wound to her lower back, Jungles said. The bullet did not exit her body, he said.

The woman was “conscious, responsive, and speaking with deputies,” Jungles said.

Deputies appealed a chest seal to the woman’s lower back and she was taken to a local hospital in “serious condition” and later underwent surgery, Jungles said.

The woman told deputies she is not from the Joliet area, he said.

She told deputies that “she and her girlfriend were outside smoking when she was shot,” Jungles said.

The victim advised detectives that she did not see or hear anything other than the gunshot, Jungles said.

Deputies found one live round in the driveway of the residence and several spent shell casings in the road in front of the residence where the shooting occurred, Jungles said.

“Most the individuals that were potential witnesses to the incident refused to cooperate with deputies in providing any information regarding the shooting,” Jungles said.

The people who did speak with deputies had told them they only heard one shot fired, he said.

Anyone with information on the shooting should contact Will County Sheriff’s Detective Chris DeMato by phone at 815-727-8574, ext. 4912, or by email at cdemato@willcosheriff.org.