A 37-year-old Army sergeant from Florida has been charged with the random shooting at an Illinois bowling alley that left three men dead and three people injured.
Prosecutors said Duke Webb, who was arrested at the scene, has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder.
“We believe this is a completely random act,” Rockford Police Chief Dan O'Shea said at a Sunday news conference. “There is no prior meeting or any kind of relationship between the suspects and any of the victims.”
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Police arrived at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford while shots were still being fired inside on Saturday night. They rushed inside, and quickly located Webb, who was trying to hide his two handguns, in a crowd of about 25.
The slain victims, whose names were not released, were ages 69 to 73. A 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were wounded but are in stable condition; a 62-year-old man who was wounded was in surgery overnight and is in critical condition.
Police said the shooting, which was captured on security video, took place in a bar connected to the bowling alley that was operating in compliance with pandemic restrictions.
“We have three families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones,” Rockford Mayor Thomas McNamara said.
“As we come to the end of this most difficult year and we look ahead at this new year that is upon us, we know this type of violence needs to stop.”
A statement from the Army provided to WEAR-TV said that Webb is a Special Forces sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base. He joined the Army in 2008 and was on leave.
It appears he may have family ties to the Rockford area.
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