Man taken into custody after 4-hour Rockford clinic standoff

ROCKFORD (FOX 32 News) - A Rochelle man is facing charges after he went inside a Rockford health center and began firing a gun.

Police say 36-year-old Steven Dummer has been charged with Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm and Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons.

Rockford Assistant Deputy Police chief Patrick Hoey says they found Dummer in a second floor waiting room, threatening suicide.

The shooting happened just after 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. Police say that’s when numerous calls starting coming in from the Crusader Community Health Clinic on Broadway.

The callers said a man was on the second floor of the facility and shot 2 to 5 times.

“Encountered the gentlemen and ordered in to drop his weapon he didn’t do that, they went ahead and secured the floor and began a dialogue with them,” said Hoey.

Hoey says his officers were able to secure the area while medical staff got everyone out of the building.

“It was pretty intense at that moment when it happened, so basically we ran out as quick as we could,” one witness said. “People were standing in line I was sitting right beside the people who was I line and the line went off and somebody yelled he’s got a gun on the second floor, so everybody then ran for the door to get out.”

Health clinic officials say at the time of the shooting there were 100 staff and about 75 patients inside the building, and all were able to escape.

Hoey says Rockford police negotiators talked to Dummer for four hours before he finally surrendered to officers.

Police say he was taken to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation. But now, Dummer is at the Winnebago County Jail and lodged in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

Police say nobody was injured, and they don’t have a motive for the shooting or if the shots were fired at any one person.

The facility does have security personnel, but no metal detectors.

The facility will be open Tuesday and will have counselors on hand for the staff.