The Illinois man accused of embarking on a 20-minute stabbing spree that left four people dead and several others injured allegedly told police he may have smoked "laced" drugs prior to the deadly rampage.
Christian Soto, 22, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of home invasion, in connection with the incident in a Rockford, Illinois, neighborhood, earlier this week.
It's unclear if he entered a plea to the charges. Lawyer information for Soto wasn't immediately available.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara identified the deceased as Jacob Schupbach, 23, Ramona Schupbach, 63, Jay Larson, 49, and Jenna Newcomb,15, according to USA TODAY.
"Our community has experienced such unthinkable tragedies this week," McNamara told reporters during a press conference Thursday, according to the outlet. "The trauma of this magnitude impacts all of us. These are dark days, but we as Rockfordians - we'll get through this."
Soto allegedly told investigators he was at the Schupbach's home Wednesday afternoon, smoking marijuana he believed was "laced with an unknown narcotic" before committing the alleged killings and attacks, Winnebago County Prosecutor J. Hanley said, according to NBC News.
"Soto said he became paranoid after the drug usage. He said he retrieved a knife from the kitchen at Jacob's house and proceeded to stab Jacob and Ramona to death," Hanley alleged.
Hanley said Soto allegedly told police he then hopped in his car and "recalled taking out the mailman," identified as Larson.
While on his mail route, Larson was allegedly stabbed several times and then ran over by Soto, authorities said.
The rampage continued when Soto – allegedly armed with a "katana-style knife" – proceeded to attack three people at a nearby home, inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on the victims.
He then allegedly broke into another home where three girls on spring break were watching a movie in the basement. Authorities said he beat them – one of them fatally – with a softball bat.
"Jenna's mom wants the community to know that Jenna died saving her sister and her friend and protecting them from further harm," McNamara said, NBC reported.
Soto allegedly went on to stab two others at another location before he was arrested.
"He's a loving person and he has never hurt anybody before," Soto's unidentified mother told the outlet. "We don't know what happened. He's not an aggressive person. This is all shocking to us... we never felt threatened with him."
Soto was denied bond. He is due back in court Tuesday.
