Six people were fatally shot at a Fourth of July parade near the US city of Chicago, according to officials, and the shooter is still at large.
When numerous shots were heard just after 10:00 local (15:00 GMT), the event in the city of Highland Park was abruptly stopped.
To ensure their safety, residents have been encouraged to stay at home and call their loved ones.
24 people, according to city officials, were also hospitalized.
According to Christopher Covelli, spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, “We are actively searching for the person responsible for this shooting.”
The suspect has been identified by police as a white man, Robert E Crimo III, between the ages of 18 and 20, who is “armed and dangerous”.
According to police, the guy appears to have used a powerful rifle to randomly target parade attendee.
As part of the city’s Independence Day celebrations: floats, marching bands, and other community entertainment were planned for the event.
But what should have been one of the happiest days of the year suddenly descended into chaos, with people fleeing the scene.
Police said they found “evidence of a firearm” on the rooftop of a nearby store, where the suspect is thought to have fired shots at bystanders.
A national holiday called the Fourth of July commemorates the day in 1776 when the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.
Over holiday weekends, Chicago’s gun violence tends to increase since more people are outside due to the hot weather. Over the Fourth of July weekend in the city of Chicago in 2021, more than 100 people were shot, with the death toll of 17.
This shooting occurs merely one week after the US Congress enacted bipartisan legislation on gun regulation in America, one month after the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York.
