Attempted Murder Suspect Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot In Rural Will County

On 04/15/2024, shortly after 10:00 AM, deputies with the Will County Sheriff’s Office began responding to the area of the 21000 block of Cottage Road in Wilmington to assist the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office on a traffic stop.

While responding, deputies were advised that members of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to stop a vehicle that was wanted in connection with an attempted homicide in the City of Aurora, Illinois. That incident occurred earlier that morning at approximately 7:31 AM when officers with the Aurora Police Department responded to the 700 block of Charles Street for a domestic disturbance. Information regarding this incident was disseminated to police agencies across the state to locate the fleeing vehicle and suspect after a shooting occurred inside of a residence.

Deputies with the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle in Grundy County and attempted to stop the vehicle. After a brief pursuit, the vehicle stopped in the 21000 block of Cottage Road in Unincorporated Wilmington in Will County. A man exited the vehicle with a firearm. Deputies with the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office attempted to deescalate the situation and provided commands to the individual to put the weapon down. The wanted individual pointed the weapon to his chest and fired the weapon.

Deputies with the Will County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and began to coordinate with Grundy County deputies in clearing the vehicle for officer safety and administering life saving measures to the downed individual. Deputies began performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to the individual with the self-inflicted gunshot wound and applied a chest seal to his wound. The wanted individual succumbed to his injuries on scene and was later pronounced deceased.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) with the Will County Sheriff’s Office were sent to the 21000 block of Cottage Road to gather evidence and conduct interviews regarding this investigation. The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification to next of kin. An autopsy is scheduled on 04/16/2024 by the Will County Coroner’s Office and his identity will be released upon completion of the autopsy by the Will County Coroner.

Sheriff Mike Kelley would like to extend his sincere gratitude to all the agencies involved in locating the offender and investigating these incidents. Events like these are a constant reminder of the dangers that the women and men of law enforcement face every day.

Tragic events like this can be avoided for those wishing to seek help and assistance regarding domestic violence. If you, or someone you know is facing a domestic violence situation, please call the Groundworks Domestic Violence Hotline at 815-729-1228, the Illinois Domestic Violence Helpline at 877-863-6338, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-787-SAFE (7233) or online at www.thehotline.org.

Will County Sheriff press release

Original story below:

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office received a  communication on a statewide radio channel (ISPERN) earlier today after 10:05am, regarding a suspect vehicle in a homicide attempt that occurred in Aurora, IL. In the communication a  suspect and vehicle description including a license plate was  listed with a last known location in the area of Interstate 55 and Blodgett Road, Will County.  

With the assistance of license plate readers, Grundy County Deputies in the area, and on patrol located the suspect and suspect vehicle and a brief pursuit occurred. The suspect’s vehicle stopped abruptly in the area of Cottage Road and Will  Road, Will County. The suspect, Jeffrey Emerson, exited the  vehicle with a firearm. Deputies immediately started de-escalation tactics with Emerson who would not communicate  with them. Emerson succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  

Will County Sheriff’s Office and the Will County Coroner are handling the investigation of the suspect’s suicide. 

Aurora Police are handling the attempted Murder.