Green Beret charged in murder spree did not witness deadly Afghanistan insider attack, Army says

An Army Green Beret accused of murder in an Illinois shooting rampage was in Afghanistan when members of his unit were killed in a deadly insider attack, but did not witness the event, the Army told Just the News.

Sergeant 1st Class Duke Webb, whose attorney said he may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, deployed to Afghanistan for the fourth time from January through July 2020, the Army said. During that time, two men in his unit were killed when someone wearing the uniform of friendly Afghan forces opened fire with a machine gun, killing two Green Berets from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.

While Webb served with that unit while it was in Afghanistan, he was not on the mission that went so badly awry.

"Sergeant 1st Class Webb was deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at the time of the incident, but was not present at the site of the insider attack," an Army spokesman told Just the News.

Just the News was not able to determine whether Webb personally knew Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez or Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez, the soldiers who were killed. But, two active duty Army sources said, Webb would have known about the attack. 

Police in Rockford, Ill., say that Webb shot a number of people Saturday evening while at a bowling alley, killing three and wounding three. Webb has been charged with three counts each of murder and attempted murder.

Webb joined the Army in July 2008, and is a decorated Special Forces assistant operations and intelligence sergeant, the Army said.

Army Special Forces commanders reacted with shock and horror to the news that one of their own had been charged in the rampage.

"The alleged actions of Sgt. 1st Class Duke Webb are abhorrent and are absolutely not representative of the Special Forces Regiment," said Major General John Brennan, head of 1st Special Forces Command, in a statement. "The vast majority of men and women Green Berets live up to their storied reputation and earn their beret every day. The actions described in reports are shocking and completely out of character with Webb's 12 years of honorable service."

Webb made his first court appearance Monday via video, and was denied bond.