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.
