'By the grace of God': Rockford neighbors struggle to understand deadly stabbing spree
After two days of cloudy skies and rain, the sun was starting to come out Wednesday afternoon over Rockford, and Charles Spivey was thinking of taking a walk with his two daughters, ages 10 and 8.
"By the grace of God, I did not do that," Spivey said as he reflected on the massacre that took place in his neighborhood.
Shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, a 22-year-old man attacked several people, killing four and injuring seven. Among the fatalities were a 15-year-old girl and a mail carrier.
Spivey 39, lives in the neighborhood just north of Harrison Avenue and Alpine Road in Rockford, and not far from his workplace, Collins Aerospace, and the Charles Street bike path.
He described his neighborhood as peaceful.
"If it's nice out, I'll walk to work," he said.
More: Stabbing leaves 4 dead, 5 injured after violent attacks in Rockford, Illinois
On Wednesday evening, Spivey was just one of dozens of Rockford residents who were still trying to understand what happened that day
Police say a lone suspect, identified as 22-year-old Christian Ivan Soto, attacked several people with a knife in the area of Cleveland Avenue, Holmes Street and Eggleston Road, all near Alpine and Harrison Avenue.
Dominic Dilillo, 23, of Palatine, was inside a home, visiting Skokie Drive residents, when he heard screaming and shouting from outside.
"We didn't think anything of it (believing it was domestic related)," Dilillo said. "Then, the next thing you know, the cops show up with their guns drawn."
Rockford firefighter Christopher Scrol, who represents parts of the area on the Winnebago County Board, said his wife was working from home Wednesday afternoon, and his mother, a retired school teacher, also was home just a couple blocks away.
As Scrol started to hear about what was happening in the neighborhood Wednesday, he said his thoughts immediately went to his loved ones and the families of those who were attacked.
"If this is some type of domestic violence that spiraled out of control or if this is some mental health issue, those are absolutely things we can address, but are failing to address on a significant level," he said. "We've made great strides over the years to address both of those issues specifically, but this instance shows us we still have a long way to go."
Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrstar.com and Twitter @chrisfgreen.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford residents struggle to understand deadly stabbings
