A shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill. has left at least six people dead and 24 others injured, according to the New York Times.
Reports indicate that shots were heard approximately 10 minutes after the parade had commenced at 10 a.m. CT. Authorities have stated that they believe the gunman had used a high-powered rifle, firing from a rooftop near the parade.
Highland Park PD have described the situation as an “active incident.” The police department of Evanston, Ill., a nearby town, has stated that the shooter remains at large.
While there is no known threat to Evanston residents, the shooter is still at large; and cancelations are taking place in an abundance of caution. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our neighbors to the the north.
— Evanston, IL Police (@EvanstonPD) July 4, 2022
Highland Park possesses a population of roughly 30,000 people.
Highland Park’s government has informed residents to avoid the downtown area, though its initial statement did not specifically reference that a shooting had occurred. The city posted the message to its official Facebook page at 10:45 a.m. CT.
“Highland Park Police are responding to an incident in downtown Highland Park. All 4th of July events have been canceled. Please avoid downtown Highland Park. Take shelter if in downtown HP. More information will be shared as it becomes available,” reads the statement.
Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering shared the same message on Twitter.
Neighboring towns such as Deerfield, Ill. have reportedly canceled their own official Fourth of July festivities since the incident began in Highland Park. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot has stated that the city’s police department is providing assistance to Highland Park “to bring the shooter into custody.”
“There are no words for the kind of monster who lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community,” Illinois Governor J.N. Pritzker said in a statement Monday afternoon. “There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their futures.”
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet shared a brief video of the parade’s abrupt conclusion. The footage shows groups of people fleeing from the area. Sweet also shared images of noticeably bloodied individuals from the area.
Actress Rachel Brosnahan shared that she was raised in Highland Park and called the Fourth of July parade “a highlight of the year for so many families.”
“I’m sick to my stomach every time news like this comes out, but I don’t wish the pit in your stomach as you call your family and friends to make sure everyone is okay on anyone,” Brosnahan wrote. “No words.”
I grew up in Highland Park and this parade is a highlight of the year for so many families. I’m sick to my stomach every time news like this comes out, but I don’t wish the pit in your stomach as you call your family and friends to make sure everyone is okay on anyone. No words. https://t.co/5dE7JB8Z17
— Rachel Brosnahan (@RachelBros) July 4, 2022
The Highland Park shooting comes amidst a series of devastating mass shootings in the United States. In late May, 19 students and two adults were killed by a gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Days before, another gunman opened fire on a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. while livestreaming his attack on Twitch. Calls for stricter gun control laws have been reignited across the United States in recent months as a response to the sequence of tragedies.