At least 24 people have been hospitalised.
Police in the US state of Illinois are responding to an active shooter situation as of Monday evening following an incident during a Fourth of July parade that has left at least six people dead and a further two dozen hospitalised.
The mass shooting took place during the annual Highland Park parade to celebrate America’s independence day just after 10am local time.
Highland Park is a suburban city located roughly around 25 miles north of Chicago.
According to the New York Times, the gunman, who is still at large at the time of writing, used a rifle and fired from a rooftop. Officials have suggested that the shooting “appears to be completely random”.
A gun has been recovered and residents have been told to stay indoors and avoid the area.
Highland Park’s mayor, Nancy Rotering, said that her community has been devastated by the event.
“This morning at 10.14, our community was terrorised by an act of violence that has shaken us to our core,” Rotering told reporters.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims during this devastating time. On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we’re instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us.”
Commander Chris O’Neill of the Highland Park Police has said that the suspect is a white male, aged approximately 18 to 20 years old with long black hair, a small build, and was wearing a white or blue t-shirt at the time of the incident.
One local resident who attended the parade, a 73-year-old man by the name of Miles Zaremski, told the New York Times that he believes the weapon used in the incident was an automatic rifle.
“I was in the service a long time ago, so I know what that sound produces,” he said. Of the scene that unfolded once the shots were fired, Zaremski said he had never seen anything like it before in his life. “It was chaos,” he explained.
Zaremski also provided an eye-witness account to the Chicago Sun-Times, noting that he heard numerous shots fired from the weapon.
“I heard 20 to 25 shots, which were in rapid succession,” he said. “So it couldn’t have been just a handgun or a shotgun.”
The governer of Illinois, JB Pritzker, released a statement, saying:
“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.”
The Illinois State Police is currently assisting Highland Park PD with an active shoot situation that occurred at the Highland Park Parade.
The public is advised to avoid the area of Central Ave and 2nd St. in Highland Park.
— IllinoisStatePolice (@ILStatePolice) July 4, 2022
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