Joliet man shot to death after crash along I-80 in New Lenox

The person who died from a shooting along Interstate 80 near New Lenox on Monday evening has been identified as a Joliet man.

Lenier D. Clayton, 30, was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. on Monday at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, the result of an apparent homicide following a two-vehicle crash that occurred on I-80 approaching the northbound exit to I-355 in New Lenox Township, according to the Will County Corner’s Office.

The Illinois State Police responded to a shooting at around 5:30 p.m. Monday on westbound I-80 at the entrance to I-355 in New Lenox, according to the ISP.

The victim, Clayton, was transported to Silver Cross Hospital where he later died. An autopsy was performed on Tuesday. Final cause and manner will be determined following autopsy, police and toxicological reports, the coroner’s office said.

A suspect was taken into custody without incident Monday evening in the vicinity of the crash and subsequent shooting, according to the state police. The suspect’s name and any charges filed have not been released.

“The investigation is in its infancy and no further information is available at this time,” the state police said Monday evening. The investigation is under the ISP jurisdiction.

“There was a large police presence around Liberty Junior High” and east of there near Francis and Marley roads, according to a post on the New Lenox Police Department’s Facebook page.

Parent teacher conferences were taken place at the school at the time, according to the post. New Lenox School District 122 had Monday and Tuesday as scheduled days off for parent teacher conferences.

There was no threat to the community, according to New Lenox police.