Suspect charged in Illinois stabbing spree that left four killed and seven injured

A man has been charged after a stabbing spree that left four people dead and several injured in Rockford, Illinois.

Four people were killed, while seven others were injured, in the attack across “multiple scenes” at around 1.15pm on Wednesday.

Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said her department received multiple calls and that when officers arrived, they found three victims deceased, while another was declared dead on arrival in the hospital.

Those killed were a 15-year-old girl, a 63-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man and a 22-year-old man.

“We have a suspect in custody who is being interviewed at this time,” Chief Redd said on Wednesday, adding that they did not have any other suspects currently.

On Thursday morning, it was reported that 22-year-old Christian Soto had been charged with multiple counts of murder/intent.

Christian Soto is accused of multiple counts of murder (Rockford Police)

Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana told reporters that they were dealing with various addresses in the area.

One victim had multiple stab wounds to her hands and face, the Sheriff said, adding that a Good Samaritan who came to help her had also required medical treatment.

It was reported one of the victims was a mail carrier, with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirming this toThe Independent on Thursday morning.

“The Postal Inspection Service can confirm that a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier was one of the victims in yesterday’s incident in Rockford, IL,” a spokesperson said. “At this time, there are no additional details we can provide, as this is an active investigation. Postal inspectors are working with the Rockford Police Department in this investigation.”

Police at the scene of one of the attacks (AP)

In a statement released to My Stateline, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said city leadership was shocked by the “horrific act of violence.”

“We can report that the suspect is in custody and the threat has been neutralized,” Mayor McNamara 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 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,” the mayor said.

While law enforcement are expected to give an update around 11.30am local time, a vigil to remember the victims has been planned for 2.30pm at the intersection of Charles Street and Eggleston Road in the city.

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