Six killed by gunfire at parade near Chicago – shooter not caught yet
Deaths and injuries from gunfire at Independence Day parade
Several people were killed and injured by gunfire during a US Independence Day parade near Chicago. Fourth of July celebrations in the town of Highland Park north of Chicago and several surrounding communities in the US state of Illinois have been put on hold.
Shots were fired at an Independence Day parade in the US state of Illinois in a suburb of Chicago on Monday. At least six people were killed, police said. The shooter has not yet been caught.
EA gunman opened fire at a US National Day parade in a suburb of Chicago, killing at least six people. A police spokesman said 24 people were taken to hospitals after the crime in Highland Park, Illinois. The shooter has not yet been caught.
The parade began at 10 a.m. local time, but the parade was stopped after shots were fired, according to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. Hundreds of visitors – some covered in blood – fled the parade route.
It is not yet known who fired the shots in the Highland Park parade. A weapon was found at the crime scene. The suspect is described as a white male between the ages of 18 and 20. A spokesman for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it appears the gunman fired from a rooftop.
Mayor Nancy Rotering urged people to avoid downtown. The administration of Highland Park said: “Numerous police officers are on duty and have cordoned off downtown Highland Park.” The July 4th festival had been canceled. The United States celebrated its Independence Day on Monday.
An eyewitness named Miles Zaremski told CNN that he saw several injured and lifeless people lying on the ground. “It was heartbreaking.” He heard around 30 pops. People fled the parade. “It was just messy.”
An aerial view of the parade site in Highland Park
Source: via REUTERS
The US has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. At the end of May, an 18-year-old gunman massacred a Texas elementary school. He had killed 19 children and 2 teachers in the small town of Uvalde at the end of May before he was shot dead by the police. The crime had rekindled the discussion about stricter gun laws in the United States. Firearms are relatively easy to obtain in the United States.
Biden is shocked
US President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill were “shocked by senseless gun violence that has once again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day.” He instructed the federal security authorities to support the local police in their search for the perpetrator, who was still at large hours after the shots were fired.
Congressman Brad Schneider, who wanted to attend Monday’s parade, wrote on Twitter: “My condolences to the family and loved ones.” He pledged to do everything “to make our children, our cities and our country safer.” Enough is enough!”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said, “There are no words for the kind of monster that lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community.”