Don Carter Lanes Reopens Following Mass Shooting
No one will ever forget the tragic shooting that took place at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford on December 26, 2020.
No one will ever forget the innocent lives lost on that day or the pure act of evil they experienced in their final moments, but life must go on.
After taking a few weeks to grieve, regroup, and repair the damage, Don Carter Lanes officially reopened to the public on Wednesday with the continued mission to support the shooting victims and their families.
Brad Sommer, General Manager of Don Carter Lanes, told
This bowling community is a strong community and after that tragedy from a couple of weeks ago everybody is coming together. They want to see each other, they want to see their bowling friends, they want to be in their bowling center. It s a second family for many, many people
The shooting is believed to be random, according to Rockford police.
At the evening vigil, music filled the air and people lit candles in remembrance of those who lost their lives. I want you to know that none of the victims that we lost are forgotten, because they live on everyday in each and everyone of our hearts and our thoughts, said Jamie Funk, a manager at the bowling alley.
Jerome Woodfork, who died in the Dec. 26 shooting, was remembered as a fierce competitor and a nice person. My heart really goes out to the group, because they were all friends, said Toscha Flowers, Woodfork s girlfriend. It wasn t just him I lost. I lost other friends, too.
Rockford’s Miracle Mile Care Fund for Don Carter Shooting Victims
On December 26th, three lives were taken, two others were wounded, from what police still believe was a completely random act of evil.
A lone shooter, inside Shooter s Bar and Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, killed 65-year-old Thomas Furseth, 69-year-old Mr. Jerome Woodfork and 73-year-old Dennis Steinhoff. The shooter also shot at a table of teenagers; a 16-year-old girl who was shot in her shoulder and a 14-year-old boy also sitting at the table was shot in the face. He is still under doctors care in a Madison, WI hospital with the bullet still lodged under his eye.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the families of all the shooting victims. Go to tiny.cc/helpforfamilies to donate.
Illinois Bank & Trust also has established a victims’ relief fund to provide direct financial assistance to the families of those killed and the individuals injured.
The bank established the Miracle Mile of Rockford Care Fund in partnership with Miracle Mile Rockford, a business district association serving businesses, property owners, neighborhood groups and residents in the heart of Rockford.