'Very scary' New details surface on Carbon Cliff standoff that left one dead

In a Local 4 News exclusive, we have obtained new details about a violent incident in Carbon Cliff the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a domestic incident around 10:30p.m. on Wednesday, November 21.

It happened on the 900 block of Rebecca Avenue, in a small residential community. 

A woman inside the townhouse made the initial call to police.

“These are not houses that are separated by yards these are townhouses,” said Rock Island County Sheriff, Gerry Bustos. “So when these rifle rounds were going through the wall outside, they could easily have gone through the wall from residence to the next and there’s not much in those walls that’s going to stop a rifle round. So it could have been potentially very dangerous for the neighbors that were there.”

Upon arrival, Sheriff Bustos says no one would come out of the residence. 

After a short time, Rock Island County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to enter the home, which is when they say a 25-year-old male opened fire.

The suspect fired at least 10 shots from a rifle through the front door of the residence, causing deputies to retreat and call for back up.

Police were attempting to enter from the garage, so no officers were injured when the suspect opened fire.

Officers from Silvis Police Department and Illinois State Police then arrived on scene for backup.

Sheriff Bustos says a woman and small child were inside the home at the time.

Officers were eventually able to get inside, where they found the 25-year-old man dead of a suspected suicide.

Due to the nature of the events Local 4 News is not releasing the suspect’s name.

The woman and child were found unharmed.

Sheriff Bustos says incidents like this show officers can never be sure of what to expect.

“Something that was maybe even a routine call for them, although some of the information we got made them more aware of what they could be walking into, turned into a potentially deadly situation with several rounds being fired from a rifle through the wall so again, very scary.”

He went on to say that while it comes with the job, violent incidents like this can take a toll on an officer. 

“You see it time and time again where they come to help out in these situations and they don’t really know what they’re walking into, and this being one of them. This is not something that anybody goes into work intending to get shot. They know it’s a potential liability, but they don’t intend for that to happen and when that does that’s very startling and very scary for them.”

Sheriff Bustos says the investigation is ongoing.

In addition to the rifle, three handguns were recovered at the scene. Police say the suspect did not have a license to carry firearms, and they are investigating how he obtained them.