Six dead in a shooting in Chicago during the Fourth of July parade which was making its way around the area. Local police suggest they are lucky more people weren’t killed.
Six people are dead and 19 were taken to hospitals after a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb, police said.
The shooting in Highland Park disrupted the annual parade just after it began at 10 am. Highland Park police said in a statement that five people were killed and 19 people were taken to hospitals.
It was unclear if the five dead were among the 19 hospitalized but now the death toll has been updated to six.
The police said authorities are still searching for the suspect and called it an active incident.
Live from the scene of shooting in #Chicago
6 dead, and 24 were hospitalized after the Highland Park shooting. The gunman is on the loose and considered armed and dangerous#USNews #Guncrime pic.twitter.com/MK2tNVPchN
— USA NEWS 🇺🇸 (@wtxnewsusa) July 4, 2022
Six dead in shooting at Chicago fourth of July parade
The parade was suddenly halted 10 minutes after it started later after shots were fired. Hundreds of paradegoers – some visibly bloodied – fled the parade route, leaving behind chairs, baby strollers and blankets. A Sun-Times reporter saw blankets placed over three bloodied bodies.
The Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, said in a statement: “My staff and I are closely monitoring the situation in Highland Park. State police are on the scene and we have made all state resources available to the community.
We will continue working with local officials to help those affected.”
https://twitter.com/swanny31176/status/1544000612819521537?s=20&t=luIl1w9hWM4lMjGFkcnHXQ
Congressman at the shooting
Meanwhile, a local congressman, Brad Schneider, who was at the parade, said:
“My campaign team and I were gathering at the start of the parade when the shooting started. My team and I are safe and secure.”
His team was able to evade the shooter with teh aid of private secuirty, sadly the five dead in the shooting at chicago did not have any security at the event to portect them.
Schneider added: “Hearing of loss of life and others injured. My condolences to the family and loved ones; my prayers for the injured and for my community; and my commitment to do everything I can to make our children, our towns, and our nation safer. Enough is enough!”
The Lake County sheriff’s office said on Twitter that it is assisting Highland Park police “with a shooting in the area of the Independence Day parade route”.
City leaders said on Twitter: “Police are responding to an incident in downtown Highland Park. Fourth Fest has been cancelled. Please avoid downtown Highland Park. More information will be shared as it becomes available.”
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