Chicago: As many as six people were killed and 24 were hospitalised in a mass shooting incident at the July 4th parade route in north suburban Highland Park in Illinois.
Multiple people were shot along July 4th parade route in north suburban Highland Park Monday morning in Illinois.
The US law enforcement agencies have identified a “person of interest” in the mass shootings and have been taken into custody.
UPDATES
- Police identified the person as 22-year-old Robert E Crimo III and has been arrested by the cops. “He is considered armed and dangerous,” Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told reporters.
- Crimo goes by the name Bobby and hails from the area of Chicago’s northern suburbs. The suspect aged 22 was believed to be driving a silver 2010 Honda Fit.
- Emergency officials said around two dozen people, including children, were treated for gunshot injuries, with some in critical condition.
- According to media reports, the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, erupted in panic when shots were fired about 10 minutes after the parade kicked off.
- A video on Twitter was also shot by one of the bystanders.
The moment the crowd realized there had been mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, at their fourth of July parade. Unfortunately there’s nothing more American than this tragedy. pic.twitter.com/beXt9uYP3F
— Read Wobblies and Zapatistas (@JoshuaPotash) July 4, 2022
- The parade was stopped about 10 minutes after it kicked off at 10 a.m. when shots were fired, striking an unknown number of parade-goers and sending hundreds of people running for safety.
- Several witnesses said they heard multiple shots fired. One witness said he counted more than 20 shots. Some of the injured were taken to Highland Park hospital for treatment.
- Police were telling people, “Everybody disperse, please. It is not safe to be here.”
- As they fled the parade route, parade-goers left behind chairs, baby strollers and blankets as they sought cover, not knowing just what happened.
- Police were patrolling the area with rifles. The parade had a heavy presence of police and fire vehicles.
- The city of Highland Park provided very little information on the incident in a Facebook post just before 10:45 am, only saying the city’s Fourth Fest had been cancelled.
- Illinois State Police were on the scene, as well. They called the incident an “active shoot situation” just before 11:25 am.
