Lawyer: Soldier charged in Rockford shooting may have PTSD

An attorney for a U.S. Army special forces sergeant arrested in what authorities called an apparently random shooting at an Illinois bowling alley that left three people dead told an initial hearing Monday that her client may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Duke Webb, 37, faces three counts of murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder for injuring three others in the shooting at Don Carter Lanes, in Rockford, Ill., on Saturday evening.

According to Army service information, Webb had four deployments to Afghanistan, the most recent once ending in July.

His lawyer, Elizabeth Bucko, also told the hearing in a Winnebago County courtroom that Webb appeared to have issues with memory loss. She added that he will undergo mental health evaluations, the Rockford Register Star reported.

The judge denied bond for Webb, meaning he will remain jailed. His arraignment was set for Feb. 16.

Webb was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and without officers firing a shot, Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea said. The suspect has no known ties to the victims and authorities “believe this was a completely random act,” O’Shea said.

At a news conference Monday, Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said that Webb was in the Rockford area visiting family. But Hanley declined to comment on possible motives for the shooting.

Bucko, the defense attorney, said Webb had no prior criminal record in Illinois or anywhere else, something she said was confirmed by a pretrial service report to the court. She added that Webb “has been successful in the service for 12 years.”

Webb joined the Army in 2008 and was on leave Saturday, the Army has said.

A criminal complaint released Monday says Webb admitted to the shootings shortly after officers arrived on the scene, even showing officers where he’d placed two guns he had brought with him — a Glock .40 caliber and a Glock .389 caliber.

Hanley added that the firearms did not appear to be military-issued.

The complaint describes horrific scenes as the gunman opened fire just before 7 p.m. Saturday, first targeting a group of teenagers on the first floor of the two-story building.

A bullet ripped through the shoulder of a 14-year-girl, and a 14-year-old boy was hit in the face. Both survived. Thomas Furseth, 65, was on the first floor and began running toward the stairs to the second-floor bar when the gunman fatally shot him in the torso, according to the complaint. He managed to get to the second floor before collapsing.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/38FkBTH