On March 27, 2024, four people were killed and seven others were injured in a mass stabbing in and near Rockford, Illinois, with the fatalities entailing two men, a woman, and a 15-year-old girl.
Additionally, witnesses reported seeing Soto enter a black Chevrolet Silverado and run over Jacob Schupbach before following him back into the house.
At a nearby residence, Soto stabbed a woman near her left eye as she opened the door to let their dog out, then wounded her adult son and daughter.
[2][3] During a court hearing on April 2, Soto disrupted the proceedings with a verbal outburst in which he loudly exclaimed "Only God can judge me" and called those present "puppets" and "serpents".
Biden further stated that they were "praying for the families of those who lost loved ones, and hoping that all those injured make a full recovery", expressed gratitude "for the heroic actions of local law enforcement, who confronted the suspect and prevented the loss of more innocent life", and pledged that his administration "will do everything in its power to help the people of Rockford and the broader community recover from this traumatic event".
[12] Rockford's mayor, Tom McNamara, described the attacks as a "random and senseless act of violence"[4] and stated that his heart was "breaking for those who have lost their lives, their families and our community".