Four dead in Rockford, Illinois stabbing with mail carrier killed & 5 others wounded in multiple attacks by same suspect

FOUR people are dead including a mail carrier and five others are wounded after a stabbing spree in Illinois on Wednesday.

Cops say the attacks in Rockford started with a home invasion but that a suspect then went on to stab multiple people.

Police rushed to the scene at 1:14 pm after getting a call about a medical emergency.

They found a total of nine victims.

Three people died at the scene and another was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The deceased include a 15-year-old girl, a 63-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man.

The US Postal Service confirmed that one of the fatalities was a postal worker.

Witnesses told CBS News that they believed the mailman was killed when he was hit by a pickup truck during the chaos.

"The mail carrier – he was the kindest person. He would help anybody; would step in and help — always friendly," said Rockford resident Ruth Gallagher.

"It's a blur. It's just a nightmare," she said.

Five others are being treated for injuries, some of which may not be stab wounds.

The attacks appeared to have occurred in multiple areas over 20 minutes and included a home invasion on Florence Street that seriously injured one woman.

The woman tried to escape during the home invasion and was stabbed in the face and hands, cops said.

A Good Samaritan tried to intervene and help the woman and was stabbed too.

Words can't even express my thoughts right now... My heart goes out to the families right now who are suffering a loss."

Police Chief Carla Redd

The bystander suffered minor injuries while the woman was said to be intubated in critical condition at the hospital.

Deputies said a 22-year-old suspect was in custody by 1:35 pm and no one else was being sought in connection to the attacks.

"[It's] a terrible situation," Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said.

Local resident Vanessa Hy saw the police arresting the suspect.

“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,” Hy told WREX 13.

COMPLEX INVESTIGATION

Cops haven't yet revealed a possible motive for the stabbing spree.

The brutal stabbings happened on Holmes Street, Winnetka Drive, and Cleveland Avenue in Rockford.

Because of the number of victims and multiple locations of attacks, police said they were working with several agencies at the local, county, and state levels to understand what happened.

"Words can't even express my thoughts right now... My heart goes out to the families right now who are suffering a loss," Police Chief Carla Redd said.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara also shared his condolences with the community.

“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," he said.

"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," he added.

The State Representative for the district, Dave Vella (D-Rockford), also issued a statement sharing his grief.

“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," he said.

"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.”