2024 Rockford stabbings

Last updated

2024 Rockford stabbings
Location Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
DateMarch 27, 2024;6 months ago (2024-03-27) (CDT)
Attack type
 Mass stabbing, home invasion, bludgeoning, vehicle-ramming
Weapons Knife, pickup truck, softball bat
Deaths4 (1 by bludgeoning)
Injured7 (2 by bludgeoning)
AccusedChristian Ivan Soto

On March 27, 2024, four people were killed and seven others were injured in a mass stabbing in Rockford, Illinois, with the fatalities entailing two men, a woman, and a 15-year-old girl. A suspect, 22-year-old Christian Ivan Soto, of Rockford, was taken into custody and charged with several counts of first-degree murder and home invasion.

Contents

Attacks

During an interview following his arrest, Soto told police that he was friends with one of the victims, a 23-year-old man named Jacob D. Schupbach, and that he had gone to Schupbach's house to smoke marijuana. According to Soto, he became paranoid that the drugs Schupbach gave him were laced with an unknown narcotic, [1] after which he retrieved a knife from the kitchen and fatally stabbed Schupbach, along with his 63-year-old mother, Ramona. Additionally, witnesses reported seeing Soto enter a black Chevrolet Silverado and run over Jacob Schupbach before following him back into the house.

After exiting the home, Soto fatally stabbed Jay P. Larson, a 49-year-old postal worker, whom Soto also ran over multiple times as he fled in his pickup truck. He then injured three people at another residence—a mother and her two adult children—all of whom were subsequently released after being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Soto then entered the unlocked back door of another residence, where three girls had been watching movies in the basement. After asking the girls "where the gun was", Soto attacked all three of them with a softball bat he had retrieved from the kitchen. One of the girls, 15-year-old Jenna A. Newcomb, was fatally injured before Soto eventually fled the home. According to Newcomb's mother, she died protecting her sister and friend from further harm. [2]

The attacks continued in another part of Winnebago County, where Soto allegedly broke into a woman's home and attacked her, as well as a man who had been driving by and stopped to intervene, with a knife. [3] As Soto began attacking the man, police arrived and took him into custody. [2] [4]

Victims

Four people, including a 15-year-old girl and a postal worker, were killed in the attacks, while seven others were injured. The victims were identified as 49-year-old Jay P. Larson, 15-year-old Jenna A. Newcomb, 23-year-old Jacob D. Schupbach, and 63-year-old Ramona L. Schupbach. [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] The Schupbachs were the only victims Soto knew prior to the attacks. [3]

Accused

The only suspect in the attacks, 22-year-old Christian Ivan Soto, had several traffic violations, with one incident in 2022 resulting in Soto receiving a sentence of six months of supervision. Soto had also been charged with damage to property in September 2022.

Following the attacks, Soto was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of home invasion. [2] Soto faces up to 60 years in prison on each count of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, as well as up to 30 years in prison for each count of home invasion. [4] Soto may also face federal charges since one of the victims was a postal worker. [3]

During a court hearing on April 2, Soto disrupted the proceedings with a verbal outburst in which he loudly exclaimed "Only God can judge me" and called those present "puppets" and "serpents". [8] [9]

Reactions

In a statement released the day after the attacks, President Joe Biden stated that he and first lady Jill Biden were "horrified to learn of the brutal attack carried out in Rockford last night". Biden further stated that they were "praying for the families of those who lost loved ones, and hoping that all those injured make a full recovery", expressed gratitude "for the heroic actions of local law enforcement, who confronted the suspect and prevented the loss of more innocent life", and pledged that his administration "will do everything in its power to help the people of Rockford and the broader community recover from this traumatic event". [2]

U.S. representative Eric Sorensen, whose district covers Rockford, stated in a Twitter post that he was "grateful for quick actions of our police who were able to catch the suspect and prevent additional harm to our neighbors in Rockford". [10]

Rockford's mayor, Tom McNamara, described the attacks as a "random and senseless act of violence" [4] and stated that his heart was "breaking for those who have lost their lives, their families and our community". [11]

Related Research Articles

A series of uncoordinated mass stabbings, hammer attacks, and cleaver attacks in the People's Republic of China began in March 2010. The spate of attacks left at least 90 dead and some 473 injured. As most cases had no known motive, analysts have blamed mental health problems caused by rapid social change for the rise in these kinds of mass murder and murder-suicide incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring High School stabbing</span> Stabbing attack in Texas, United States

On September 4, 2013, one student was killed and three others were wounded in a stabbing attack at Spring High School in Spring, Texas, United States. A 17-year-old student, identified as Luis Alonzo Alfaro, was arrested and charged for the murder. In September 2014, Alfaro was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Franklin Regional High School stabbing was a mass stabbing that occurred on April 9, 2014, at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Alexander Hribal, a 16-year-old sophomore at the school, used a pair of eight-inch kitchen knives to stab and slash 20 students and a security guard. Four students sustained life-threatening injuries, but all survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Arrow murders</span> Mass stabbing and familicide in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, US

The Broken Arrow murders, otherwise known as the Bever family massacre, was a familicide and mass stabbing that occurred on July 22, 2015 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The perpetrators, Robert and Michael Bever, murdered their parents and 3 siblings. It was the deadliest crime and mass murder in the city of Broken Arrow, until a murder-suicide in October 2022 which killed 8 people.

On 8 March 2016, a 21-year-old Palestinian man from Qalqilya killed an American tourist and wounded ten civilians in a stabbing spree in Jaffa Port, Tel Aviv, Israel. The attacker was shot dead by the police after a chase along the beach promenade.

On 3 August 2016, a mass stabbing occurred in Russell Square, London. Six people were stabbed, one fatally, before a suspect, identified as Zakaria Bulhan, was apprehended by police and charged with murder and attempted murder. The media initially linked the stabbing to terrorism, but later shifted its focus to possible mental disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Portland train attack</span> Racially-motivated harassment and stabbing on a train in Portland, Oregon

On May 26, 2017, Jeremy Joseph Christian fatally stabbed two men and injured a third after he was confronted for shouting racist and anti-Muslim slurs at two black teenagers, Destinee Mangum and Walia Mohamed, on a MAX Light Rail train in Portland, Oregon. Two of the victims, Ricky John Best of Happy Valley and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche of Portland, were killed; the third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, survived with serious wounds.

A mass stabbing is a single incident in which multiple victims are injured or killed with a sharp object thrusted at the victims, piercing through the skin and injuring the victims. Examples of sharp instruments used in mass stabbings may include kitchen knives, utility knives, sheath knives, scissors, katanas, icepicks, bayonets, axes, machetes and glass bottles. Knife crime poses security threats to many countries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Reading stabbings</span> Stabbing attack in Reading, England

On 20 June 2020, shortly before 19:00 BST, a man with a knife attacked people who were socialising in Forbury Gardens, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom. Three men died from their wounds, and three other people were seriously injured. Khairi Saadallah, a 25-year-old Libyan male refugee, was arrested shortly afterwards. He was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder; he pleaded guilty. In January 2021, Saadallah was sentenced to a whole-life term.

On March 27, 2021, one person was killed and six others were injured in a mass stabbing at the Lynn Valley Library in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A man named Yannick Bandaogo was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. In September 2021, he was additionally charged with one count of aggravated assault and five counts of attempted murder. Bandaogo did not know any of his victims. On May 29, 2023, he pleaded guilty to all of the charges. On August 31, 2023, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 15 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 2021 Tokyo stabbings</span> 2021 mass stabbing incident in Tokyo, Japan

A mass stabbing incident occurred 6 August 2021, on a commuter train in the Odakyu Electric Railway in Tokyo, Japan. Ten people were injured in the incident.

On August 28, 2022, a 19-year-old man allegedly opened fire in Detroit, Michigan, United States, randomly killing three people on the city's streets over a span of two hours and fifteen minutes. A fourth person and a dog were injured. Each person was shot in separate locations, and had no known connection to the shooter nor any known gang affiliation. The suspected shooter was apprehended at his house in Detroit about 14 hours later, and was formally charged two days later.

On September 7, 2022, three people were killed and three others were injured after a gunman went on a shooting spree in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The attack was livestreamed on Facebook Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Ken Lee</span> 2022 stabbing in Toronto, Ontario

Ken Lee, a 59-year-old man, was fatally stabbed outside the Strathcona Hotel, on York Street, Toronto, at 12:17 am on December 18, 2022. Eight teenage girls were charged with his murder.

On 30 April 2024, a man crashed a van into a pedestrian and property in the suburban area of Hainault, London, and proceeded to randomly attack people with a sword. One victim, a 14-year-old boy named Daniel Anjorin, was killed, and four others were injured, including two police officers. A 36-year-old man, Marcus Arduini Monzo, was arrested at the scene after being struck by several Taser rounds and tackled to the ground.

References

  1. ↑ Drenon, Brandon (March 29, 2024). "Rockford, Illinois stabbing suspect blamed 'laced' marijuana, authorities say". BBC News . Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hutchinson, Bill; Sarnoff, Leah (March 30, 2024) [March 28, 2024]. "What to know about the deadly Rockford, Illinois, stabbing spree". ABC News . Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Mayorquín, Orlando; Fadulu, Lola (March 28, 2024) [March 27, 2024]. "Man Charged With Killing 4 in Stabbing Rampage Blames Drugs" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Burke, Minyvonne; Helsel, Phil (March 28, 2024). "4 dead, including teen who was killed protecting her sister, in Illinois stabbing spree". NBC News . Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  5. ↑ Simonson, Amy; Mascarenhas, Lauren; Rose, Andy (March 28, 2024). "4 dead, 7 injured in stabbing rampage in Rockford, Illinois, residential area, authorities say". CNN . Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  6. ↑ Dodge, John (March 29, 2024). "What we know about the victims in Rockford, Illinois stabbings". CBS News . Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  7. ↑ Kolkey, Jeff (March 29, 2024). "Rockford man lauded as a hero, good Samaritan for his actions during mass stabbing". Rockford Register Star . Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  8. ↑ Fox, Bridgette; Neuzil, Laura; Stoffregen, Sydni (April 2, 2024). "Suspect in Rockford attacks causes courtroom scene, deemed 'threat to community'". WIFR . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. ↑ Hagerty, Jim (April 2, 2024). "Rockford stabbing suspect hurls insults at judge, victims' families at court appearance". Rockford Register Star . Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Suter, Tara (March 28, 2024). "Biden 'horrified' by Illinois stabbings that killed 4 people". The Hill . Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Four killed during stabbing spree in Illinois". BBC News. March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.