Joliet Halloween mass shooting: 3 men face additional charges after another victim dies

JOLIET, Ill. - Three men accused in a mass shooting at a Halloween party in Joliet in 2021 are facing additional charges after a third victim died a year after the horrific incident.

The shooting happened after midnight on Halloween 2021 when over 200 people were at a party near Jackson and Walnut streets in Joliet Township.

Holly Matthews and Jonathan Ceballos were both fatally wounded in the shooting. Both of them were 22-years-old and from Joliet.

Dozens of others were wounded by the gunfire.

A year after the incident, on Oct. 30, 2022, another victim — identified as Sergio Hernandez — who was paralyzed in the shooting, died from injuries he sustained in the incident.

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Two brothers, Thomas and Jeremy Lopez, were arrested at their homes a few months after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and various weapons offenses, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.

Joskar Ramos, who was arrested on unrelated weapon offenses in November 2021, faces the same charges as the Lopez brothers.

Police had been called at least three times about noise at the party, but had not tried to disperse the crowd.

"This tragic incident could not have been solved without the help of the public, so I want to thank those that came forward with information," Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley had said after the three suspects were arrested.

Bond was set at $10,000,000 for each of the suspects. They remain locked up at the Will County Adult Detention Facility as they await trial.

Jonathan Ceballos was remembered by family as "a great brother, friend and son."

"I remember how much you used to love riding horses, going to Mexico, how we used to play soccer together all the time and how you always made people laugh," said his younger brother Carlos Ceballos.

"I honestly can’t believe you were taken from us at such a young age," he said. "You didn’t deserve this."

Mathews said her daughter was loved by everyone, especially the patients at a nursing home where she worked.

"As they were passing, she would hold her hand, she'd be by their side," said Mathews. "Somebody walking, they needed $1? She would hand it to them. Somebody’s car broke down? She be the first to help them."

Two of the party organizers told FOX 32 they invited a small group, and before they realized it, several strangers started showing up.

"We tried to shut it down and get it to stop, but they just kept coming and coming," Mireya Ramirez said.