An Illinois man fought off a group of knife-wielding intruders after they stabbed him, three others in the house, and a dog on Wednesday.
Two masked men, one armed with a large hunting knife, broke into a home in a Chicago suburban neighborhood during the early morning hours of Wednesday. The intruders stabbed the 47-year-old homeowner, three others between the ages of 16 and 49, and a German Shepherd. After the stabbings began, the homeowner was able to retrieve a firearm and fire a shot at the intruders, causing them to flee the home.
"Offenders forced entry into the home where an altercation took place resulting in four occupants being stabbed," Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steven Casstevens said at a press conference. "A 47-year-old resident retrieved a handgun from inside the home and fired a shot at the offenders. At this point, the offenders then fled the residence."
The stabbing victims were all transported to the hospital and are expected to survive. The German Shepherd was taken to a veterinarian.
Police said they have three suspects and a bloody knife in custody but have yet to determine a motive for the attack.
"Motive is something we’ll be looking to determine," Buffalo Grove Police Deputy Chief Roy Bethge said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Police believe the home was specifically targeted, however.
"Investigators do not believe this was a random act," Chief Casstevens said.
Neighbors were shocked by the brutal attack.
"It’s pretty shocking," Bob Meyer, a neighbor, told CBS 2. "This neighborhood is very, very quiet. We’ve lived here for 30-plus years, and this stuff just doesn’t happen here; just doesn’t happen."
"It’s always disturbing and unsettling to think that, you know, you’re just not safe when you’re at your home," Amy Fowler, another neighbor, told the news station. "It kind of shatters that illusion you have that everythings fine."