The U.S. Army sergeant accused of murdering three people and wounding three others in a weekend shooting at an Illinois bowling alley may have post-traumatic stress disorder, his lawyer said on Monday.
The lawyer, Elizabeth Bucko, said in an interview that a pre-trial service report also suggested that the Army sergeant. First-class Duke Webb, 37, also had memory loss problems.
Bucko said it was not clear whether Webb, an active-duty special sergeant assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, reported the apparent cognitive problems. She added that she had no proof of diagnosis.
During a bail hearing on Monday, Bucko said Webb should be evaluated for a brain injury.
Army service records released on Monday show that Webb has been in Afghanistan four times, the last one from January to July. He was on leave when the shooting occurred, Bucko said.
Webb, who was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, was denied bail after a prosecutor told the judge that Webb admitted the shooting and turned over his weapons to the authorities.
The authorities described the incident as a random act. The shooting took place on Saturday night at Don Carter Lanes, a bowling alley in Rockford, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago.
The Rockford Police Department said the fatal victims include three men, aged 73, 69 and 65. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the face and was in stable condition, the department said, and a 62-year-old man was in critical condition after being hit several times.
A 16-year-old girl injured in the shooting was treated and released.
Bucko declined to comment on why Webb was in Illinois. Eglin Air Force Base is east of Pensacola, Florida.
Since joining the Army in 2008, Webb has received two Bronze Stars, the Army Medal of Good Conduct, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Combat Action Badge, the Army’s records show.
In a statement, Major General John Brennan, commander of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), called Webb’s alleged actions “abominable” and said they were not representative of the Special Forces.
“The vast majority of men and women in Green Berets live up to their reputation and earn their berets every day,” he said. “The actions described in the reports are shocking and completely different from Webb’s 12 years of honorable service.”
Mosheh Gains contributed.