ROCKFORD — Wednesday evening was a nightmare for Rockford, Illinois. On Thursday, a vigil gave residents a chance to start the painful process of waking up together.
A promising young softball player, a devoted mother and her son, and a beloved mail carrier were all killed in a violent rampage. Seven other people were injured, three of them still hospitalized Thursday afternoon, according to Rockford police.
The vigil, in the parking lot of a small auto repair shop, was convened by clergy: Christian pastors, a rabbi and a imam took turns at the microphone. With each prayer, heads bowed and hands folded, a community united by what they prayed for: healing.
Community members adorned four wooden crosses with bouquets in vibrant wrappers, the sun catching on a little lilac Easter egg poking out from one. Gleaming balloons reflected light onto the podium as visibly shaken public officials offered words of comfort.
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“We are remembering the absolutely tragic loss of just a young little girl, to an amazing young man working at Walmart, to, what I have heard about, an absolutely amazing saint and mother to a fantastic son, and a civil servant and a letter carrier,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “You look at one of the most difficult weeks I think anyone could face in our community, this would be that week. But then you look across today and you see folks from different religions, you see folks from different races, you see folks from different political ideologies and what you see, and what I see, I hope, is Rockford.”
A one-of-a-kind family
The last time Tyson Parks talked to his best friend, 23-year-old Jacob Shupbach, was early Wednesday morning. Their phone conversation had started Tuesday night. Even after nearly a decade of friendship, they always had something new to talk about. When they hung up at 2 a.m., they didn’t know it would be their last conversation.
“I went to sleep (Wednesday night) hoping that this was a dream and I could wake up and call him right away,” Parks said. “First thing, 7:30 in the morning, crying because my brother is gone.”
At Parks’ side Thursday was Shon Wilson, who’d known Shupbach since middle school. The three were inseparable. The 2:30 p.m. vigil likely marked the longest they’d gone without hearing from their “brother.”
“This was no regular friendship — this was family,” Wilson said. “That right there, that’s real love.”
The loss of Shupbach’s mother, Romona Shupbach, 63, in the same violent spree was an another devastating blow. Romona baked them “the most incredible” desserts. The Shupbach home was their refuge from the world, a place where they would hang out and goof off.
All the Sharpies in the world couldn’t record what Shupbach had meant to his friends, Wilson said. He and Parks have their memories of nights in the Shupbach basement, laughing until their stomachs hurt while they worked out how to turn Shupbach’s beloved Saturn into a race car.
“He loved the Saturn more than himself. He considered that his child,” Parks said. “Everyone else kind of doubted his dream of turning the Saturn into a race car, but since he was my brother I never doubted his dream. I still believe Jacob’s dream.”
More than a letter carrier
“My dad once told me to always live so they don’t have to lie at your funeral,” said Lawrence Steward, local president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. “Jay lived — nobody’s got to lie about how much they loved him.”
Letter carrier Jay Larson, 49, was stabbed multiple times and died in a hospital soon after he was attacked.
On Thursday, Steward recalled his first encounters with Larson, years ago when Steward had first started his career. Larson was carrying the route Steward now carries. Steward recalled Jay as a devoted employee, somebody his fellow carriers were proud to have known.
“He didn’t just belong to us letter carriers, Jay didn’t just belong to his immediate family, Jay did not just belong to his union bros and sisters,” Steward said Thursday. “Jay lived his life. He worked because he belonged to all of you.
“Jay gave his life in service to his community.”
A devoted teammate
Jenna Newcomb’s mother said Jenna died protecting her sister and a friend from further harm. She loved music and softball. At 15, she was always working to improve, and she encouraged those around her in their efforts to do the same. She had her final practice the night before she died.
“When we needed throwing partners and all that, she was always there to make sure I had somebody because I didn’t really know a lot of the people,” Newcomb’s friend and teammate Bailey Carlson said.
Many of Newcomb’s friends’ fondest memories of her center around softball. Teammate Madison Owens said Newcomb lives on for her at the batting cages, where the two spent last summer perfecting their swings.
“She was really determined. She never gave up on anything,” Owens said. “We had a really fun time, and it was just really hard to see that I can’t do that anymore.”
Before the vigil, the Rockford East High School softball team gathered in memory of their teammate. They have a game coming up on April 8. Newcomb’s friends say they plan to push through their grief and bring out their best game in Newcomb’s honor.
‘Getting back up’
The mourners began leaving around 3:30 p.m., their cars moving slowly as they emptied Charles Street and Eggleston Road. As the Rockford community continues grieving, it’s McNamara’s hope they do so together.
“If you’re from Rockford, getting knocked down is nothing new. But getting back up is nothing new either,” he said.