POLO — Two people are dead following a June 14 shooting incident in Polo, a June 16 Ogle County Sheriff’s Office press release said.
On June 14, the Polo Police Department and Ogle County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 500 block of West Mason Street in Polo for a report of a shooting with one adult male victim and at least one adult female held at gunpoint inside the residence by a male, who was identified to law enforcement as 19-year-old Joshua M. Conway of rural Polo. The female was able to flee the residence with other members of the household.
During the course of the investigation, members of the Ogle County Emergency Response Team and the Northwest Critical Incident Response Team entered the residence and located Conway deceased on the third floor of the residence from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Also located on the third floor was the male victim, identified as Michael C. Gul, 29, of Wauconda, Illinois, who was deceased.
An additional search warrant was executed on June 15 at a separate residence associated with Conway. Autopsies for Conway and Gul took place on June 16 at the Ogle County Coroner’s Office, with results pending.
The investigation remains ongoing. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting the investigation. No further threat to the community exists at this time.
Initial information indicated that an individual had been shot with a handgun. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Conway had shot an occupant and was holding additional household members hostage inside the home. The hostages were able to escape the residence safely prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
Due to the severity of the situation, the Ogle County Emergency Response Team was activated along with the Northwest Illinois Critical Incident Team.
The Polo Police Department was assisted by the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, Ogle County Emergency Response Team, Northwest Illinois Critical Incident Response Team, the Polo Fire Protection District, Dixon Rural Fire Protection District, Mercy Health Systems MD-1, Illinois State Police Crime Scene, Ogle County State’s Attorney, Ogle County Coroner’s Office and Polo Street Department.
