Another deadly shooting in the United States. At least six people were killed and 24 injured in a shooting in the northern United States on Monday during an Independence Day parade, according to local authorities who are looking for the shooter. The facts took place in Highland Park, a wealthy town north of Chicago.
A white man, aged around 20, is suspected of having opened fire on the crowd gathered for the festivities in Highland Park, an affluent town on the shores of Lake Michigan north of Chicago, before fleeing. A rifle was found but the individual is still “considered armed and dangerous”, said the police, who called on the population to stay safe until his arrest.
The suspect has not been identified
“As we gathered to celebrate our freedom, we must mourn the tragic loss of life and overcome our terror,” city mayor Nancy Rotering said at a press conference. Hundreds of officers were deployed to apprehend the suspect and assist the public.
On images of the city, broadcast on television channels, we see the police circulating in empty streets, where the sidewalks are covered with camping chairs abandoned in panic. The suspect has not been identified. He has “long black hair and a white or blue t-shirt,” local police chief Chris O’Neill said.
pools of blood
The shooting broke out as hundreds of people gathered to watch the traditional July 4 parade, which celebrates the declaration of independence of the United States in 1776. A witness, quoted by the local channel WGN, reported having saw a man armed with a rifle open fire in the direction of the public. “He was on the ground and was crawling in a methodical, almost military way,” commented this man named Michael.
The crowd threw themselves to the ground before running away as pools of blood formed, he said. The parade was immediately suspended and festivities were canceled in several nearby towns. The United States is still reeling from a series of shootings, including one in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, which left 21 people dead, including 19 children.