Witnesses reported hearing up to 25 gunshots just after 10am. CDT on Monday, who struck several attendees and sent hundreds of attendees — some visibly covered in blood — running from the parade route, leaving behind chairs, baby carriages and blankets. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that blankets were placed over “three bloodied bodies” and as many as five others were injured in the shooting. The city later confirmed six dead and 20 injured. Law enforcement was warning people to avoid Highland Park and it was being treated as an active shooter situation.
What we know about the shoot so far
Sgt. Christopher Covelli, of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, said at a news conference shortly before 1:00 p.m. CTD that the shooter appeared to have taken up a sniper position on the roof. They recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene, but still consider the suspect armed and dangerous, police said. The conditions of the injured ranged from serious to critical, Mr Covelli added. “This was very random, very deliberate and a very sad day,” Mr. Covelli said during a later briefing, adding that the suspect could still be in town or could have left the area. Officers ran toward the shooter when the shooting started, but say he was “discreet and hard to see.” Residents have been urged to evacuate their premises. More than 100 local, state and federal law enforcement officers, including the FBI, are working on the investigation, Mr. Covelli said. Witnesses told WGN that a suspect began shooting from the roof of an Uncle Dan’s retail store toward the parade below about 10 minutes after the parade began. The shooting occurred “in the area of the Independence Day parade route,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement released shortly after 11 a.m. “Everyone disperse, please. It’s not safe to be here,” the policeman told the marchers. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter that it was assisting Highland Park police “with shots fired in the area of the Independence Day parade route.”
Eyewitnesses say they are running for their lives
Gina Troiani and her son lined up with her kindergarten class ready to walk the parade route when she heard a loud sound she thought were fireworks — until she heard people yelling for a shooter. “We’re just starting to run in the opposite direction,” he said. Her five-year-old son rode his bicycle, decorated with red and blue curved ribbons. He and other kids on the team held small American flags. The city said on its website that the festivities would include a children’s parade with bicycles and pets. Ms. Troiani said she pushed her son’s bike, running through the neighborhood to get back to their car. In a video Troiani shot on her phone, some of the children are visibly startled by the loud noise, then scrambling to the side of the road as a siren wails nearby. It was just kind of a mess,” he said. “There were people who were separated from their families and they were looking for them. Others just dropped their wagons, grabbed their children and started running.” Highland Park resident Debbie Glickman said she was in a parade with colleagues and the group was preparing to turn onto the main route when she saw people running from the area. “People started saying, ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’” Glickman said. “So we just ran. We just ran. It’s like mass chaos down there.” He didn’t hear any noises or see anyone who looked injured. “I’m so terrified,” she said. “It’s so sad.” Parents hid their children behind garbage as they tried to escape the fire. I spoke with Mayor @NancyRotering of Highland Park. Unimaginable horror in this mass shooting. The details are hard to even replicate. My office is in contact with law enforcement agencies looking for the suspected shooter. At least six dead and 24 injured at this point. Prayer for all. — Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 4, 2022 Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said the shooting has “terrified” the town of 30,000. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims during this devastating time. On a day we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we instead mourn the tragic loss of life and grapple with the terror inflicted on us,” Ms Rotering said. He asked everyone in the area to remain calm and on “high alert”. “Contact your loved ones and make sure they are safe and let them know you are safe too. This situation, as you know, is evolving rapidly and we will continue to update you as we receive information and stabilize the situation,” Ms Rotering said. City leaders said on Twitter that all Fourth of July parades had been canceled and asked residents to avoid the downtown area. Area beaches have also been closed. A perimeter was set up around the center of Highland Park as authorities tried to track down the attacker. It was the 308th mass shooting so far in the United States in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
What we know about the shooter
Highland Park police described the suspect as a white male, 18-20 years old, with long black hair, a small build and wearing a white or blue T-shirt. They recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene, but still consider the suspect armed and dangerous. The gun was urgently traced by the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms to determine who it belonged to, a spokesperson told CNN. Police admitted they did not know if he was still in the area or had already fled. Nearby communities including Elk Grove Village, Buffalo Grove, Evanston and Rolling Meadows canceled their Fourth of July events and closed beaches “out of an abundance of caution.” In a press conference at 3.30 p.m. CDT, police said they are making “significant progress” in their manhunt.
Eerie parallels to the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy
In November 2021, six people were killed and 62 others were injured when a driver plowed through barricades and into the path of a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, about 75 miles north of Highland Park. As was the case in Highland Park, strollers and chairs were left strewn across the main street after the attack. Darrell Edward Brooks has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and dozens of other offenses. He was on bond after being accused of hitting a woman a few weeks earlier.
Where is Highland Park?
Located about 25 miles north of downtown Chicago, Highland Park is an affluent suburban town in Illinois on the southwestern edge of Lake Michigan. It has a population of about 30,000, according to the 2020 Census. Many members of the famous Chicago Bulls NBA team of the 1990s lived in the area, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Tony Kukoc.
Lawmakers respond to shootings
President Joe Biden said in a statement that he is following the shooting closely. “Jill and I are appalled by the senseless gun violence that has once again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day.” Biden, who signed the gun control legislation into law last month, said there was “much more work to be done.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois condemned the shooter’s actions on Monday afternoon. “There are no words for the kind of monster that stalks and shoots a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community,” he said in a statement. “There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their future.” Senator Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat, said in a tweet that he had spoken with Ms Rothering, the mayor of Highland Park. “Unimaginable horror in this mass shooting. The details are hard to even replicate. My office is in contact with law enforcement agencies looking for the suspected shooter. “At least six dead and 24 injured at this point. Prayer for all.” The Chicago White Sox said Monday night’s game against Minnesota will go ahead, but the postgame fireworks display has been canceled. “Our hearts go out to the Highland Park community,” the group said in a statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report
