Rockford bowling alley shooting victims ID'd; Duke Webb, Florida serviceman, held without bond
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WLS) -- A U.S. serviceman from Florida has been ordered held without bond for a shooting at a Rockford bowling alley that left three people dead and three wounded Saturday night in what authorities believe was a random attack.
Duke Webb, 37, of Florida, was identified by police during a press conference Sunday morning and confirmed by the Army to be an active military serviceman.
Police said they believe Webb was the only one responsible for Saturday's shooting at Don Carter Lanes.
Three people were killed and three more injured in the shooting. The victims were identified by the Winnebago County Coroner's Office as Thomas Furseth, 65, of Machesney Park; Jerome Woodfork, 69, of Rockford; and Dennis Steinhoff, 73, of Rockford.
"My dad was my world, my whole life. He's my daddy. He's the most selfless, big hearted, funny guy in the world," said Steinhoff's daughter, Regina Maschke. "You can never replace a person. You can replace anything and everything else, but you can't replace a person you love."
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The bowling alley itself was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, there is an upstairs bar that was open when Webb opened fire, according to officials. The chief said the upstairs venue has double doors that open to the outside, ensuring the bar is in compliance with Illinois' COVID-19 mitigation guidance.
Witnesses who were inside at the time of the shooting told ABC7 Webb fired off several rounds as people jumped off the bar's balcony to try and get to safety.
Webb was taken into custody shortly after the shooting at around 7 p.m. Saturday, Rockford police said.
Prosecutors said a witness who was on the first floor during the shooting told police he heard multiple gunshots and saw Webb with a gun. Prosecutors also said Webb admitted to the shooting and pointed police to the two guns recovered from the scene, which were stashed behind a bag that belonged to Webb.
Webb's attorney said her client had shown indications of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and was going to be evaluated for brain injury in the coming weeks. He appeared virtually for his first court appearance.
Webb's attorney said he should have been entitled to bail, saying he showed some indications of mental illness in his pretrial report.
He was ordered held without bond until his next court date in February.
Webb, an Army Green Beret, is currently assigned to a base on Florida. Military officials said he had served in Afghanistan and received a number of awards, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. They said his alleged actions to not represent the Special Forces Regiment and are out of character with his 12 years of honorable service.
He joined the Army in 2008 and was on leave when the shooting occurred. Prosecutors said he was in Rockford to visit family.
Police have not said what a possible motive for the shooting was.
Don Carter Lanes is now grieving the loss of the three who were regulars, releasing this statement Sunday:
"A heinous act of violence by an evil coward took innocent life tonight. The entire bowling community mourns the senseless loss of life and prays for the families. God, please be with their friends and families. Thank you to law enforcement for your heroic actions that prevented further loss of life."
Mike, who works at Don Carter Lanes, said he talked to the gunman shortly before the bullets started flying.
"He did not seem right, so I was like, 'I got to get away from this guy,'" he said.
"We have three families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones," Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said.
Additionally, authorities said, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the face but stable and airlifted to a hospital in Madison, and a 16-year-old girl who was shot in the shoulder was treated at a hospital and released. A 62-year-old man underwent surgery overnight after suffering multiple gunshot wounds and is in critical condition, the chief said.
Friends of the man fighting for his life are praying he will pull through.
"He is in critical condition," said the victim's friend, Isiah Box. "(He) had surgery last night and that is all we know right now."
The suspect has no known ties to the victims, O'Shea said.
"We believe this was a completely random act, and there is no prior meeting or any kind of relationship between the suspect and any of the victims in this case," O'Shea said. He did not provide information on what led up to the shooting.
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He said the suspect tried to conceal his weapons before his arrest, and that he was apprehended without officers firing a shot.
"Most of the incident was captured on surveillance video from inside the business," O'Shea said, adding that investigators are studying captured images.
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The establishment will hold a candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the north lot. They ask those who plan to attend to park in the east or west lots.
Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, whose district includes Rockford, tweeted he was "Praying for the victims and their families tonight after the heinous attack in our community."
The Rockford Register Star reported that 2020 has been the deadliest year on record for homicides in the city of about 170,000 residents located about 80 miles northwest of Chicago. Thirty-five people have been killed in the city this year, breaking the previous record of 31 in 1996.
"As we come to the end of this most difficult year and we look ahead at this New Year upon us, we know that this type of violence needs to stop," Mayor McNamara said. "... And today, with the eyes of the country upon us, we need to show as Rockfordians how we respond to an incident such as this, as one Rockford, supporting one another."
Webb has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder, according to Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley.
ABC News and Associated Press contributed to this report.
