Suspect in 'Abhorrent' Bowling Alley Shooting a Green Beret

Army Sgt. 1st Class Duke Webb was in Ill. on leave from Fla.'s Eglin Air Force Base, authorities say
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 28, 2020 7:23 AM CST
Green Beret Charged in Fatal Bowling Alley Shooting
Duke Webb.   (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office via AP)

An Army Green Beret has been arrested and charged with murder after a weekend shooting at an Illinois bowling alley that left three senior citizens dead and three injured, including two teens. Police say that Sgt. 1st Class Duke Webb, an active service member who's been with the US Army since 2008, was on leave from Florida's Eglin Air Force Base, where he serves with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a special forces assistant operations and intelligence sergeant, ABC News reports. Due to COVID restrictions, Don Carter Lanes in Rockford was mostly closed during the Saturday incident, but a second-floor bar and takeout service were open, per the Rockford Register Star. Three men, ages 65, 69, and 73, were killed, while a 62-year-old was left in critical condition, per police. The bowling alley's owner describes the four as "wonderful" regulars.

Authorities add that two teens who'd gone to the bowling alley to pick up food were also injured: A 14-year-old was shot in the face and is now in stable condition, while a 16-year-old girl was shot in the shoulder, treated, and released. At a Sunday presser, Rockford Police Chief Dan O'Shea called the shooting a "completely random act" and said it didn't appear there were any ties or previous encounters between the suspect and the victims. He adds that most of the shootings, which took place inside and outside the bowling alley, were captured on surveillance video. In a statement, an Army spokesman calls Webb's alleged actions "shocking," "abhorrent," and "completely out of character with [his] 12 years of honorable service." Webb is being held at the Winnebago County Jail without bond, charged with murder and attempted murder. He's due in court Monday. (More shooting stories.)

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