The alleged perpetrator is still on the run, said representatives of the place in the state of Illinois on Monday. A gun was secured, apparently the perpetrator shot from a roof. About two dozen people were seriously injured.
The shooter has not yet been caught, according to investigators. The suspect is described as a white male between the ages of 18 and 20.
The FBI was called in to investigate. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the shots were fired about 10 minutes after the start of the Independence Day parade. Congressman Brad Schneider, who wanted to attend Monday’s parade, wrote on Twitter: “I hear there have been deaths and injuries.”
An eyewitness named Miles Zaremski told CNN that he saw several injured and lifeless people lying on the ground. “It was heartbreaking.” Zaremski said he heard around 30 pops. People fled the parade. “It was just chaotic.” The Lake County Sheriff’s Office tweeted, “Stay out of the area – let the police and first responders do their job.”
It was not immediately known who fired the shots at the parade in Highland Park. Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering urged people to stay away from downtown. The July 4th festival has been cancelled. The United States celebrated its Independence Day on Monday.
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 bloody deed had rekindled the discussion about stricter gun laws in the USA. Firearms are relatively easy to obtain in the United States.
Source: Nachrichten
