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Who is the Illinois shooting suspect? Three people shot dead and three wounded at Rockford's bowling alley

It was unclear why people were at the venue, which was supposed to be closed under pandemic restrictions

ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS: Three people were shot dead and three others were injured on Saturday, December 26, in a shooting at a bowling alley in Don Carter Lanes, Rockford, Illinois.

Three unidentified men, who were 73, 69 and 65 years old, were shot and three people, which included two teenagers were badly injured. Police Chief Dan O'Shea said they have a person of interest in custody who is thought to be the only shooter. However, he said the investigation is "very, very fluid" and still ongoing. O'Shea stated that the shots were fired inside and outside of the bowling alley. "We have the scene secure and a person of interest in custody," O'Shea said. "When officers arrived on the scene, the shooter was still in the building. No officers fired their weapons that we know of at this point but the individual that we believe is responsible and the only individual we believe at this point to be involved, we have in custody." The police department later updated that the suspect is under custody.

The Department cleared the area and asked the public to stay away. It was unclear why people were at the venue, which was supposed to be closed under pandemic restrictions. State rules say, "Bowling alleys should be closed." 

As soon as the news made its way to social media, people started reacting to it, as one internet user said, "A Bowling Alley was open in Illinois? California and New York can't even have outdoor dining." Another worried person wrote, "Not to make this all about me... but I feel slightly targeted. I have cousins living in Nashville (where there was a Christmas bombing) and siblings living in Rockford, Ill. where there was a mass shooting tonight at a bowling alley."

Sharing the news, another one wrote, "@Horuskitty this sh*t has become so common that it is hardly a blip on the radar, blink and you’ll miss it...what a society we have become." Another one shared the video and wrote, "Police in Rockford, #Illinois report of an active shooting. There are unconfirmed reports that this is a mass casualty event."

2020 came out as the deadliest year on record in Rockford, Illinois. There have a total of 35 homicides in the city this year, breaking all the previous records. The next highest had been 31 recorded in 1996.