ROCKFORD — Four people are dead and seven others were injured after multiple stabbings in a neighborhood on the city's southeast side.
Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd confirmed that three died at the scene and one died at a local hospital.
The dead have been identified as a 15-year-old girl, a 63-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man.
13 WREX has confirmed with the U.S. Postal Service that one of their letter carriers are among those who passed away. Postal inspectors are on scene with local police.
The suspect has been identified as a 22-year-old man. Chief Redd says they have not yet identified a motive for these "heinous crimes."
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office now tells 13 WREX that in total, 7 people were injured in Wednesday's attack. There is no new update on the conditions of those victims.
Previously, the number of injured was reported at five with one in critical condition, a woman trying to run away after the man entered her home was stabbed in the hands and face.
Four others were stabilized at area hospitals, including a Good Samaritan who was hurt trying to help one of the victims. Not all of those injured were stabbed, according to Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd.
RPD is still working on notifying families of those dead and hurt.
There are no other suspects, according to Chief Carla Redd.
The initial medical call came in at 1:14 p.m. in the 2300 block of Holmes St. when multiple other calls came in from other parts of the neighborhood.
Other streets with reported scenes include Cleveland Ave., Winnetka Dr., Eggleston Rd., and Florence St.
There are multiple scenes that remain under investigation involving both the Rockford Police Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office.
OSF St. Anthony Medical Center tells 13 WREX that they have received four patients from the scene. No information on their conditions were immediately available.
13 WREX interviewed one of the neighbors that witnessed a part of what happened.
"All of the sudden, we heard police run up on both sides of the house screaming 'Stop! Get down!'," Vanessa Hy told 13 Investigates' William Ingalls. "Then they ran into the backyard and after a few minutes we saw them bringing the suspect down the driveway in handcuffs and he was very bloody."
"It was like a movie, you know, I've never seen anything like this," Hy added.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara has released the following statement:
"Today, we are shocked by another horrific act of violence against innocent members of our community. We can report that the suspect is in custody and the threat has been neutralized. Now that he is in custody, our primary concern is ensuring that our community members directly impacted by this violence are supported throughout their healing and recovery. We are working with community partners to provide support and services quickly and conveniently to those residents. We will announce those details soon.
We have multiple jurisdictions working on multiple crime scenes to develop an understanding of what transpired in an effort to prevent this from happening again. We will continue to provide updates."- Mayor McNamara
Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli released this statement:
"Following the incident on Rockford’s southeast side today where a suspect attacked and stabbed multiple people this afternoon, I am shocked and saddened to hear about yet another act of senseless violence in our community this week. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and Rockford Police Department are working together as the investigation continues. As the former Alderman of this area, my heart goes out to the residents of this neighborhood and our community as a whole."- Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli
State Rep. Dave Vella released the following statement to the media:
"I am heartbroken by the actions of the perpetrator of these horrible stabbings in Rockford today. These victims deserve to be safe and secure in their homes from violence that they didn’t ask for and don’t deserve. They need our support now and my office is ready and willing to do what we can to help. I am committed to working closely with Mayor McNamara and other authorities to help these neighbors of ours to address this senseless violence and ensure that justice is served.
The City of Rockford Police Department and Winnebago County Sheriff's Department responded quickly and skillfully to bring the perpetrator into custody and prevent additional injuries. I am thankful for their rapid and expert response to the situation. We truly have an amazing force in our community we can trust.
I ask that we keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers during this time."
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen released this statement:
"I am grateful for quick actions of our police who were able to catch the suspect and prevent additional harm to our neighbors in Rockford,"said Sorensen.
"As we work to uncover more details about why this attack occurred, I want the victims and their families to know I am keeping them in my thoughts and praying for those who are in recovery. The emotional toll an event like this takes on a community is immense, and it is critical that we work together to make sure our neighbors have the support they need to get through this difficult moment. Everyone, regardless of their zip code, deserves to feel safe in the community they live in. I remain committed working with local officials to fight for the resources our police officers need to keep our neighborhoods safe and reduce crime."
