Gunfire erupted at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park about 10 minutes after Independence Day festivities began at 10 a.m. Monday. Late Monday, police identified Robert Krimo as a person of interest in the shooting. Police in Highland Park respond to a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade (Getty Images) Highland Park Police Chief Chris O’Neill told a news conference shortly before 2 p.m. that the suspect was a white male, 18-20 years old, with long black hair, a small build and wearing a white or blue T-shirt . Capt. Christopher Covelli, of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, said the shooter appeared to have a sniper position on the roof. 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. They recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene, but still consider the suspect armed and dangerous, police said. 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. 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. Witnesses told WGN9 the suspect was positioned on the roof of an Uncle Dan’s retail store when they started shooting at the parade below. President Joe Biden led the condemnation of the shooting. “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 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.” Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat, said in a tweet that he was “praying for everyone.” “Unimaginable horror in this mass shooting. The details are hard to even replicate. My office is in contact with law enforcement agencies who are looking for the suspected shooter.” An officer reacts as a cart and other items are left strewn along the parade route (AP) Footage posted on social media showed revelers and marchers suddenly fleeing in panic as gunfire erupted in the streets. In the widely shared TikTok video, families can be seen sitting on the curb watching a marching band. Suddenly a voice starts shouting “gunshots” and the parade watchers start jumping off the ground. The marching band members break into a run and run in the direction of the parade route. Screams can be heard in the background and people flee the area as local residents who had come to enjoy family Independence Day celebrations are forced to seek shelter. A local resident told The Associated Press that she was riding in a parade when she saw people running away from the area. “People started saying ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’” Debbie Glickman said. “So we just ran. We just ran. It’s like mass chaos down there.” Multiple law enforcement agencies are on the scene, including the Illinois State Police, Highland Park Police and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Illinois State Police tweeted around 11:20 a.m. local time: “Illinois State Police are currently assisting Highland Park PD with an active shooter situation that occurred on Highland Park Parade. The public is advised to avoid the Central Ave and 2nd St area. in Highland Park. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that it was also assisting Highland Park police with shots fired along the parade route. “We are assisting Highland Park Police with a shooting in the area of the Independence Day parade route. STAY OUT OF THE AREA – allow law enforcement and first responders to do their job,” the department said. Highland Park is about 25 miles north of Chicago. The shooting marks the latest gun violence to tear apart a US community, just weeks after 21 students and teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and 10 black people were killed in a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. .
