Highland Park Police Chief Chris O’Neill, the incident commander at the scene, urged people to stay put as authorities search for the suspect, described as a white male wearing a white or blue T-shirt. Lake County Major Crimes Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference that the gunman apparently opened fire on the marchers from a rooftop using a rifle found at the scene. He didn’t know which building. Coveli said police believe there was only one shooter and warned he should be considered armed and dangerous. Police have not released details of casualties or injuries. Police are seen along the parade route in Highland Park on Monday. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) “This morning at 10:14, our community was horrified by an act of violence that shook us to our core,” Mayor Nancy Rotering said at the news conference. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims at this devastating time. On a day we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we mourn the tragic loss of life and grapple with the terror inflicted upon us.” Hundreds of marchers — some visibly covered in blood — abandoned the parade route after shots were fired, leaving their belongings behind. By early afternoon, ominous signs of a joyous event suddenly turned to horror and filled both sides of Central Street where the shootings took place. Dozens of baby carriages, some with American flags, abandoned children’s bicycles and a helmet emblazoned with images of Cinderella were left behind. Blankets, lawn chairs, coffees and water bottles were knocked over as people fled. Abandoned items are seen after a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park on Monday. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Police, some in camouflage gear, continued to storm the area. Highland Park police initially said in a statement early Monday afternoon that five people were killed and 19 people were taken to hospitals, but those numbers were revised shortly afterward at a news conference.
Witnesses describe ‘chaos’
Video taken by a Sun-Times reporter after the shots rang out shows a band on a float continuing to play as people run past them screaming. 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 told The Associated Press. Police respond to a shooting in Highland Park on Monday. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) 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 parade of bicycles and pets for children. 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 and scrambling to the side of the road as a siren wails nearby. Highland Park residents are seen following the shooting Monday. Residents were told by police to evacuate the area as authorities search for the suspect. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) “It was just kind of a mess,” he said. “There were people who were separated from their families, looking for them. Others just dropped their wagons, grabbed their children and started running.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a tweet that he is “closely monitoring the situation in Highland Park.” 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 told The Associated Press. “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.”
