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Six individuals have been killed when a gunman opened fireplace at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, and round two dozen individuals have been taken to space hospitals with accidents, police mentioned. A few of the victims, together with no less than one youngster, have been in essential situation once they have been transported from the scene, Highland Park Fireplace Chief Joe Schrage instructed reporters.
Legislation enforcement businesses are nonetheless trying to find the suspect, Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill mentioned throughout a press convention. Individuals within the space of the downtown enterprise district have been urged to shelter in place.
Legislation enforcement officers recognized 22-year-old Robert Crimo III as an individual of curiosity within the capturing. Crimo goes by Bobby and is from the native space, officers mentioned. He’s believed to be armed and harmful and might be driving a 2010 silver Honda Match with Illinois license plate DM-80653.
Authorities have been evacuating individuals from buildings as they search for the gunman, Lake County Main Crime Job Pressure Spokesman Chris Covelli mentioned.
Police earlier described the suspect as a White male, roughly 18-20 years outdated, with longer black hair, a small construct and carrying a white or blue T-shirt.
Police and witnesses mentioned it appeared the gunman was capturing on the crowd from the roof of a enterprise close to the parade route.
Investigators mentioned a firearm had been recovered from the scene and efforts have been underway to hint it. Covelli described the weapon as “a high-powered rifle.”
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek instructed reporters 5 adults died on the scene. The sixth sufferer died at a hospital, Banek mentioned, including that she did not have particulars about that particular person.
Dr. Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness at Highland Park Hospital, mentioned {that a} whole of 26 individuals have been dropped at the medical facility, 25 of whom had suffered gunshot wounds. Six sufferers have been taken to Evanston Hospital, 4 have been taken to Glenbrook Hospital, and a number of other others have been taken to hospitals outdoors of the Northshore College Medical System community.
Of the sufferers initially taken to Highland Park Hospital, two have been transferred to Evanston Hospital: one to get additional neurosurgical care and one other to be handled on the pediatric unit there. One other affected person was transferred to Skokie Hospital and a fourth affected person was transferred to Homer Kids’s Hospital following emergency surgical procedure.
As of Monday night, 19 sufferers at Highland Park Hospital had been handled and discharged, Temple mentioned. Solely two sufferers remained at Highland Park Hospital and each have been in secure situation, Temple mentioned.
The sufferers’ ages ranged from 8 to 85 years outdated, Temple mentioned, and he estimated that 4 or 5 of the sufferers have been kids.
Over 100 legislation enforcement officers from a number of businesses, together with the FBI, Illinois State Police and Lake County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the capturing within the suburb north of Chicago. O’Neill mentioned police responded to the sound of gunshots at round 10:14 a.m.
Covelli mentioned the gunman stopped firing as officers approached the constructing after which managed to elude authorities.
“All indications is he was discreet and he was very tough to see,” Covelli mentioned.
“It feels like spectators have been focused … very random, very intentional and a really unhappy day,” Covelli mentioned.
Investigators are combing by means of surveillance cameras in search of data on the capturing, CBS Information senior investigative producer Pat Milton studies. They’re additionally going over cellphone video of bystanders on the parade.
Police and ambulances from a number of jurisdictions swarmed the realm within the aftermath of the capturing. Video from the scene confirmed individuals being positioned into ambulances.
CBS Chicago digital producer Elyssa Kaufman, who was watching the parade together with her household, heard the sound of gunshots.
“Everybody was was working, hiding and screaming,” Kaufman mentioned. “It was extraordinarily terrifying. It was very scary. We’re very lucky, we received out in a short time.”
Witnesses instructed CBS Chicago there was confusion within the preliminary aftermath of the capturing over whether or not the loud bangs have been a part of the Independence Day festivities.
“I keep in mind seeing individuals, like, you understand, working and ducking and, you understand, simply screaming,” a lady instructed CBS Chicago. “I ran with my daughter, and I bumped into, like, somewhat retailer, however I used to be scared as a result of I did not know in the event that they have been coming … or in the event that they have been, you understand, like, within the constructing.”
A video posted to Twitter by Chicago Solar-Instances columnist Lynn Candy, who was on the parade, confirmed a band taking part in on a truck within the parade as a crowd of individuals handed the truck, working the opposite manner.
Candy instructed CBS Information the capturing occurred close to the reviewing stand for the parade.
“I noticed issues that individuals should not see,” she mentioned. “I noticed our bodies. I noticed wounded individuals. I noticed swimming pools of blood.”
She estimated a whole lot of individuals have been lined up alongside the parade route, in some locations two or three individuals deep. She mentioned it was clear individuals left in a rush.
“You noticed child carriages; they’re nonetheless on the market on the scene … there are water bottles,” she mentioned. “It is only a second frozen in time the place individuals did not care about any belongings as a result of they needed to get out of there.”
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering mentioned the remainder of the pageant has been canceled, and a number of other close by communities additionally canceled their parades.
“On a day that we got here collectively to have a good time group and freedom, we’re as a substitute mourning the loss, the tragic lack of life and fighting the fear that was introduced upon us,” Rotering mentioned at a information convention after the capturing.
President Biden mentioned in an announcement that he and first woman Jill Biden “are shocked by the mindless gun violence that has but once more introduced grief to an American group on this Independence Day. As at all times, we’re grateful for the primary responders and legislation enforcement on the scene. I’ve spoken to Governor Pritzker and Mayor Rotering, and have supplied the complete assist of the Federal authorities to their communities.”
Talking on the South Garden on the White Home, Biden later remarked, “You all heard what occurred right this moment. With every day, we’re reminded there’s nothing assured about our democracy. Nothing assured about our lifestyle. We’ve got to battle for it, defend it, and earn it by voting.”
Governor JB Pritzker mentioned in a statement: “There aren’t any phrases for the sort of monster who lies in wait and fires right into a crowd of households with kids celebrating a vacation with their group. There aren’t any phrases for the sort of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their desires, their futures.”
He urged all Illinoisans to wish for the victims, their households, and the primary responders. “However grief won’t deliver the victims again, and prayers alone won’t put a cease to the fear of rampant gun violence in our nation. I’ll stand agency with Illinoisans and People: we should — and we are going to — finish this plague of gun violence,” he mentioned.
Kathryn Watson contributed reporting.
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