At least six people have died and another 26 have had to be hospitalized after a shooting this Monday in the middle of a parade for the July 4 celebration in Highland Park, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Chicago, in the state of Illinois.
The newspaper Chicago Sun-Timesciting sources at NorthShore University Health System, said that of the people who were taken to Highland Park Hospital and Evanston Hospital, the “vast majority” required treatment for gunshot wounds while others “sustained injuries as a result of of the chaos that followed the parade”.
In the afternoon, the authorities offered a press conference in which they reported the discovery of a high-capacity rifle on the roof of a shopping center at the scene of the events.
In Photos | Shooting in the US in the middle of the Independence Day parade
The event took place on the outskirts of Chicago, United States. Five deaths have been reported so far. More than a dozen people have had to be hospitalized.
In any case, Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the notice remains that “the individual is armed and dangerous.” The suspect, he said, has been identified as a Caucasian individual with long black hair.
Among the victims is a Mexican citizen, according to Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on social networks.
“Reyna Torres, Consul of Mexico, informs me that there is a national among those who have lost their lives in the shooting that took place in Chicago,” Ebrard revealed in a Tweet. “Condolences to family and friends. We stand with the Chicago community in their pain and sadness over this tragedy.”
Message from President Biden
President Joe Biden sent words of condolences to the families of the fatal victims and those who were injured.
“I have offered the full support of the federal government to their communities. I also asked the federal police to assist in the urgent search for the shooter, who remains at large at this time,” the president said in a statement.
Biden recalled in the message that recently signed “the first major bipartisan gun reform bill in nearly thirty years,” in order to save lives and stressed “I will not stop fighting the epidemic of gun violence.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also sent a message of condolence. through a tweet.
“The tragedy unfolding in Highland Park is devastating. I have been in contact with Mayor Rotering and offered our support, and the Chicago Police Department is providing assistance. We mourn the families of those killed and injured, as well as the entire Highland Park community,” he added.
Witnesses told the publication that they heard multiple shots, possibly more than 20 shots.
The city of Highland Park reported in a statement about the event on its digital portal, lamented “the tragic loss” for those who went to celebrate and said that “all events for the 4th of July are cancelled.”
* With information from Reuters.
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