19-year-old killed by Joliet police identified as Naperville man

The person shot and killed Tuesday by Joliet police officers was identified as a 19-year-old from Naperville, according to the Will County Coroner's Office.

The Naperville man, Joseph Casten, was pronounced deceased at 7:08 p.m. Tuesday at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, the coroner's office reported.

"Mr. Casten appears to be the victim of multiple gunshot wounds," coroner officials said.

Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force Chairman Dan Jungles, who is also a deputy chief with the Will County Sheriff's Office, referred questions on the incident to task force public information officer Ken Kroll. The task force investigating the shooting is composed of officers from local, county and state law enforcement agencies.

Kroll sent a news release on Wednesday afternoon that said three uniformed Joliet police officers in marked squad cars responded to a report of Casten threatening to shoot people. The officers responded about 6:30 p.m. to the 800 block of Second Avenue, task force officials said.

The officers "encountered Mr. Casten in the street brandishing what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun," Kroll said.

Casten "aimed this apparent handgun" at the officers and he was "subsequently shot multiple times," Kroll said. Officers on scene quickly attempted to render live-saving measures, he said.

It was later discovered that the apparent handgun was actually a BB gun, according to Kroll's news release.

It was also learned after the shooting that Casten was the 911 caller reporting a person in the street threatening to shoot people, Kroll said.

Kroll, who is also the Romeoville police chief, did not respond to a message with further questions on the incident, and a representative at the Romeoville Police Department said he was unavailable late Wednesday afternoon.

A family member of Casten contacted by The Herald-News declined to comment.