Naperville teen fatally shot by officers in Joliet had a BB gun: police

Officers gave the man life-saving measures at the scene, but he later died at Silver Cross Hospital, police say.

SHARE Naperville teen fatally shot by officers in Joliet had a BB gun: police
At least 26 people were shot in Chicago in the first night of the weekend.

Police shot someone Dec. 22 in Joliet.

Sun-Times file

Joliet police officers shot and killed a teen armed with a BB gun that officers mistook for a handgun Tuesday evening in the far southwest suburb.

The teen, identified as 19-year-old Joseph Casten of Naperville, allegedly pointed the BB gun at officers before they opened fire, according to Joliet police.

Officers were called about 6:30 p.m. to a man threatening to shoot people in the 800 block of Second Avenue and found Casten holding what appeared to be a black handgun, police said in a statement.

As Casten aimed the gun at officers, the officers shot him multiple times, police said.

Police learned later that the weapon was a BB gun.

Officers gave Casten life-saving measures at the scene, but he was pronounced dead when he arrived at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, police said.

The officers, who were uninjured, were taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet for evaluation.

The investigation was turned over to the Will-Grundy Major Crime Task Force, police said.

Preliminary autopsy results from the Will County coroner’s office found that Casten died from gunshot wounds.

In 2019, a Joliet police officer fatally shot someone during a hostage standoff after the suspect opened fire on officers.

The Latest
The man was found unresponsive in an alley in the 10700 block of South Lowe Avenue, police said.
The man suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities are some of the ways to get more women into this growing job sector.
Chatterbox doesn’t seem aware that it’s courteous to ask questions, seek others’ opinions.