Six individuals have been killed and 36 wounded when a gunman opened hearth on a crowd gathered for parade in Chicago suburb.
A gunman has opened hearth on a crowd gathered for an Independence Day parade outdoors of Chicago, killing not less than six individuals and wounding 36 within the newest mass capturing in the USA.
Here’s what we all know.
What occurred?
- A shooter opened hearth on a crowd gathered to observe an Independence Day parade within the Chicago suburb of Highland Park at 10:15am on Monday, sending revellers fleeing in terror, authorities mentioned.
- The gunman apparently used a “high-powered rifle” to fireside dozens of rounds from a perch atop a industrial constructing the place he was “very troublesome to see”, mentioned Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill.
- Six individuals have been killed within the capturing, with not less than 36 others wounded. “A number of” of the victims died on the scene, and the targets gave the impression to be “random”, in response to Lake County Main Crime Activity Drive spokesman Christopher Covelli.
- The NorthShore College Well being Heart acquired 26 sufferers after the assault, with all however one affected by gunshot wounds, in response to Dr Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness. He estimated not less than 4 of these handled on the hospital have been youngsters.
- Within the wake of the assault, garden chairs, strollers and luggage of snacks littered the crime scene, the place hours earlier households had staked out prime viewing locations to observe the festivities.
- An enormous manhunt adopted the assault, with police releasing a photograph of a “particular person of curiosity” and his Honda Match automobile. They warned he was seemingly armed and harmful.
- A rifle was recovered on the scene, though particulars of the weapon weren’t instantly launched.

Who’s the particular person of curiosity?
- Hours after the assault and about 8km (5 miles) away, a police officer pulled over the named particular person of curiosity, 21-year-old Robert E Crimo III.
- Dozens of police additionally surrounded his dwelling in Highland Park.
- Crimo, who goes by the title Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage title Awake the Rapper and has posted on social media dozens of movies and songs, some violent and depicting gun violence.
- Crimo’s father, Bob, a longtime deli proprietor, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Highland Park in 2019.
- Crimo was not instantly charged.
The #FBI is helping with the seek for Robert E. Crimo, III, looked for his alleged involvement within the capturing of a number of individuals at a July 4, 2022, parade in Highland Park, Illinois. He could drive a 2010 Silver Honda Match with Illinois plates DM80653: https://t.co/8RJLbCgyJQ pic.twitter.com/7t2soP3J3V
— FBI Most Needed (@FBIMostWanted) July 4, 2022

What is understood in regards to the victims?
- Particulars of some the these killed have begun to emerge
- Nicolas Toledo, a person in his late 70s, was the primary sufferer recognized as of late Monday by his household. He was in a wheelchair and had not wished to attend the parade, his household mentioned in a press release to native media. However he required full-time care and his household mentioned that they had not wished to overlook the occasion.
- “My grandfather Nicolas Toledo father of 8 and grandfather to many left us this morning July 4th, what was presupposed to be a enjoyable household day was a horrific nightmare for us all,” his granddaughter Xochil Toledo mentioned in a press release shared by the household on social media.
- Jacki Sundheim, a instructor at a neighborhood synagogue in Highland Park, was confirmed as one other sufferer by The North Shore Congregation Israel, in an e mail to congregants.
- “There are not any phrases adequate to precise the depth of our grief for Jacki’s dying and sympathy for her household and family members,” the synagogue mentioned.
- A 3rd particular person killed was a Mexican nationwide, Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, mentioned on Twitter on Monday. He mentioned two different Mexicans have been wounded.
- Authorities haven’t launched the ages of the lifeless, however well being employees have mentioned the wounded ranged in age from eight to 85.
My video.. I used to be at #Highland Park parade.. Terrified individuals fleeing July 4th parade when capturing began. pic.twitter.com/DSe0NJOuem
— Lynn Candy (@lynnsweet) July 4, 2022

The place is Highland Park?
- Highland Park is situated about 40km (25 miles) north of central Chicago. It’s a usually rich group of about 30,000 individuals.
- Its mansions and sprawling lakeside estates have lengthy drawn the wealthy and typically well-known, together with basketball legend Michael Jordan, who lived within the metropolis for years when he performed for the Chicago Bulls.
- Movie director John Hughes shot components of a number of motion pictures within the metropolis, together with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and Bizarre Science.
What has the response been?
- The assault is the newest in a string of high-profile mass shootings within the US, following, amongst others, a racist assault at a grocery retailer in a Black group in Buffalo, New York that killed 10 individuals; and a bloodbath at a main faculty in Uvalde, Texas, through which 19 youngsters and two lecturers have been shot lifeless.
- There have been 313 mass shootings within the US this yr, in response to the Gun Violence Archive. In the meantime, the FBI recorded 61 “lively shooter” occasions – outlined by somebody killing or making an attempt to kill individuals in a public area in a seemingly random vogue – in 2021, the best ever on document.
It’s heartbreaking to spend the Fourth of July mourning yet one more American tragedy:
A lethal mass capturing, this time in Highland Park.
Weapons of struggle don’t have any place on our streets. None.
It’s gone time to ban assault rifles — earlier than tragedy strikes once more.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 5, 2022
- President Joe Biden, who lately signed a slender, although nonetheless essentially the most substantial federal gun management invoice into regulation, mentioned on Monday he and first woman Jill Biden have been “shocked by the mindless gun violence that has but once more introduced grief to an American group on this Independence Day”.
To face mindless gun violence whereas out celebrating Independence Day is nothing in need of horrific. The nation’s prayers are with Highland Park right now. My workplace is carefully monitoring the scenario and can keep in touch with native leaders and regulation enforcement. https://t.co/ZxZLa7M9Lr
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 4, 2022
- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker mentioned at a information convention: “I’m livid as a result of it doesn’t need to be this fashion … whereas we have a good time the Fourth of July simply yearly, mass shootings have develop into a weekly – sure, weekly – American custom.”
- In a tweet, Shannon Watts, the founding father of the gun management advocacy group Mothers Demand Motion, famous that whereas Chicago has a number of the stricter gun management legal guidelines within the nation, it borders Indiana, which has a number of the most lax: “America’s gun legal guidelines are weak on the federal degree and even robust state legal guidelines are weak in comparison with peer nations’ legal guidelines,” she wrote.
(Al Jazeera)