Army special forces Sgt. Duke Webb charged in Illinois bowling alley rampage that killed 3
ROCKFORD, Ill. – An Army sergeant primarily based in Florida has been charged with homicide after a shooting rampage at a bowling alley advanced that left three individuals lifeless and three others wounded, authorities mentioned Sunday.
Duke Webb, 37, was being held in the Winnebago County Jail with out bond on three counts every of first-degree homicide and tried first-degree homicide in Saturday’s assault. His first courtroom look was set for Monday.
“We believe this was a completely random act,” Police Chief Dan O’Shea mentioned Sunday. “There is no prior meeting or any kind of relationship between the suspect and any of the victims in this case.”
The tragedy provides to what has been the deadliest 12 months on document for this metropolis of 150,000 individuals, 90 miles west of Chicago. Saturday’s killings marked 35 homicides this 12 months, probably the most of any 12 months on information courting again to 1965. The subsequent highest complete was 31, recorded in 1996.
Rockford’s points are a recurring theme across the nation. More than 41,500 individuals died by gun violence this 12 months nationwide, which is a document, in response to the impartial knowledge assortment and analysis group Gun Violence Archive.
Cities throughout America – together with Milwaukee; Indianapolis; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Greensboro, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; and Trenton, New Jersey – have already surpassed their all-time information for homicides this 12 months. Others, equivalent to Philadelphia and Fort Worth, Texas, are seeing their highest numbers in many years.
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Mayor Tom McNamara mentioned the eyes of the nation are on his metropolis, and that its residents should present how they “respond to an incident such as this, as one Rockford, supporting one another and coming together.”
“This type of violence in the city of Rockford needs to stop,” McNamara mentioned. “This type of violence throughout our country needs to stop.”
Webb, a resident of Florida, was taken into custody inside minutes of officers arriving on the scene. He had tried to hide his id and conceal two weapons that have been recovered from the scene, O’Shea mentioned. No officers fired their weapons whereas taking Webb into custody, O’Shea mentioned.
The Army mentioned Webb is a special forces assistant operations and intelligence sergeant assigned primarily based at Camp Bull Simons, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He joined the Army in 2008 and was on depart Saturday.
“We are shocked and saddened to study this tragic occasion,’ mentioned Col. John W. Sannes, commander of seventh Special Forces Group. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded.”
Don Carter Lanes includes the alley, a bar and an off-track betting site. The bowling alley and lower level of the complex was closed because of COVID-19 regulations, but an upstairs bar was operating within compliance with about 20 to 25 people, O’Shea said.
“The two teenage victims have been selecting up meals. It’s a carryout institution as effectively,” O’Shea said. “They weren’t in the bar space.(*3*)https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/27/army-member-duke-webb-charged-deadly-illinois-bowling-alley-rampage/4052880001/” rel=”nofollow noopener” goal=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Army member Duke Webb charged in lethal Illinois bowling alley rampage” class=”link rapid-noclick-resp”>Army member Duke Webb charged in lethal Illinois bowling alley rampage
