Branden C. Pierce, 34, was fatally shot in the early hours of March 9, 2025, in the 1300 block of Pico Court in Joliet Township. Multiple gunshots were heard by neighbors, and deputies from the Will County Sheriff’s Office found Pierce in a bedroom with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was taken by East Joliet Fire Department personnel to Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Authorities say the shooting appears to have been a targeted attack. Surveillance footage reportedly shows a vehicle driving through the area shortly before the shooting, and two houses were struck by bullets. No arrests or publicly identified suspects have been announced and detectives have urged residents to avoid the area while the investigation continues.

Pierce’s full name was Branden Christian Bunche Cain-Pierce. Born December 23, 1990, he was the only child of Gwendolyn Gwen Cain and John Armstrong Pierce, and is remembered by family as a creative, faith-minded photographer. Does anyone in Joliet have information about activity around Pico Court that night or the vehicle seen on surveillance?