HIGHLAND PARK, In poor health. – Six individuals have been killed and at the very least 18 wounded as gunfire and chaos shattered a Fourth of July parade on this prosperous Chicago suburb Monday, police mentioned.
The shooter, believed to be a white male between 18 and 20 years previous, was nonetheless at massive. Video from the scene reveals scores of individuals working for canopy as music continues to play minutes after the occasion started at 10 a.m. native time.
“Police are responding to an incident in downtown Highland Park,” the town mentioned in a Fb submit. “Fourth Fest has been canceled.”
The town requested residents to keep away from the downtown space and mentioned extra data could be shared because it turns into obtainable. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-In poor health., was on the parade.
“My marketing campaign group and I have been gathering firstly of the parade when the capturing began,” Schneider mentioned on Twitter. “My group and I are protected and safe. We’re monitoring the state of affairs intently.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s workplace tweeted that it was “helping Highland Park Police with a capturing within the space of the Independence Day parade route.”
Sirens wailed on the 88-degree, overcast day as legislation enforcement automobiles flew previous residential streets and residents stood anxiously on driveways and sidewalks.
Manuel Rangel, 28, mentioned he noticed dozens of individuals working previous his home, away from the parade space downtown.
“They seemed scared. They have been panicking,” he advised USA TODAY. “You by no means see these issues right here. It’s a quiet place.”
Emir Gomez, 41, stood exterior his mother and father’ home throughout from the fireplace station as sirens continued to blare and a helicopter flew overhead. He mentioned he was visiting his mother and father for the parade and was positioned close to the tip of the parade.
“It’s a convention that we do yearly,” he mentioned. “We noticed two cop vehicles go in the other way, which was uncommon. We noticed individuals working. There have been carrying what they might.
“This type of factor shouldn’t be occurring right here. And now it has. Are we protected anyplace?”
Debbie Glickman, a Highland Park resident, advised the Related Press she was on a parade float with coworkers and the group was ready to show onto the primary route when she noticed individuals working away from the realm.
“Folks began saying, ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter, there a shooter,’” Glickman mentioned. “So we simply ran. We simply ran. It’s like mass chaos down there.”
She didn’t hear any noises or see anybody who seemed to be injured.
“I’m so freaked out,” she mentioned. “It’s simply so unhappy.”
Highland Park is about 25 miles north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. The Village of Deerfield, three miles west of Highland Park, tweeted that “because of a capturing in Highland Park, Household Days actions at Jewett Park have been cleared and the parade is canceled. Please share that the parade actions are canceled with your loved ones and associates.”
