Police are still investigating the motive behind the suicide of a man suspected of killing eight people in Joliet, Illinois, as part of a cross-country manhunt.

Romeo Nance, 23, took his own life after being located over 1,000 miles (1,600km) away in Texas. Nance is believed to have committed the murders at various locations in Joliet, where seven victims were found in two houses on the same street.

Additionally, Nance shot two other individuals, one of whom died.

Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans revealed on Tuesday that Nance had a significant criminal history and was related to most of the seven people found dead in the neighboring houses.

However, he emphasized that the other two shootings appeared random, and authorities are actively seeking a motive in what he described as a "very complicated and active investigation."

"We can't get inside his head," stated Mr. Evans at a press conference. "We just don't have any clue as to why he did what he did."

The victims in the homes included five women and two men. Some victims have been identified, including Christine Esters, 38, Tamaeka Nance, 47, William Esters, 35, Joshua Nance, 31, and Alexandria Nance, 20.

The names of two teenage girls aged 14 and 16, who are also victims, have not been released.

Authorities believe Nance carried out the killings of the seven individuals before perpetrating two additional shootings in other areas of Joliet, a city with a population of around 150,000 located approximately 40 miles (64km) southwest of Chicago.

One of the attacks resulted in the death of 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare, who was shot in the head as he left his apartment to buy cigarettes, authorities said.

Police said Mr Bakare was originally from Nigeria and had been living in the US for the past three years. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

The other victim was an unnamed 42-year-old man shot in the leg on Sunday, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries.

Video of the incident shows the victim exchanging words with the driver of a red Toyota Camry, which pulls away and returns before gunshots are heard.

Police said they were able to trace the license plate number on the Camry, which led them to Nance and the two houses with other victims.

That discovery sparked a manhunt for the suspect, who authorities warned: "should be regarded as armed and dangerous".

But by that time, Nance had left the area and had fled south, police said.

He was located by US Marshals near Natalia, Texas, just outside San Antonio and about 18 hours from Joliet by road, at approximately 20:30 local time on Monday (02:30 GMT Tuesday).

Police said they do not believe he had any relatives or connections to Texas.

"I've been a policeman 29 years and this is probably the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with," Mr Evans said during an earlier news conference in Joliet.

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