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At least 22 hurt and one dead in a Juneteenth celebration mass shooting in a Chicago suburb

Jun 19, 2023, 21:46 IST
Business Insider
A Pan-African flag is draped from a vehicle in a parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois.Brian Cassella/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
  • At least 22 people were hurt and one was killed in a Sunday mass shooting at a Juneteenth event.
  • An unknown number of suspects opened fire in a strip mall parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois.
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At least 22 people were injured and one is dead after a shooter opened fire Sunday at a Juneteenth celebration in suburban Chicago, The New York Times reported.

Shortly after midnight local time, an unknown number of suspects fired multiple rounds from multiple weapons into a crowd in a parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois, about 21 miles outside of Chicago, police officials said in a news release. The search for the suspects is ongoing.

People had gathered to celebrate Juneteenth, a day that marks the end of slavery in the United States. The first Juneteenth celebrations took place in 1866 in Texas, where a year earlier, a Union Army general declared that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, were free by executive decree. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

It's unclear what led to the gunfire in a strip mall parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois.Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

What began as a peaceful gathering in Willowbrook on Saturday night turned terrifying before the morning.

The celebration began around 6 p.m. local time in a strip mall parking lot near Hinsdale Lake Terrace apartments, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office said in a news release, according to The New York Times and CNN. Police had been monitoring the event, and left around 12:25 a.m. after receiving a call about a fight nearby. They heard gunshots ring out and returned to the celebration, the statement said.

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"The motive behind this incident is unclear and this is still an active investigation," DuPage County Deputy Sheriff Eric Swanson told reporters at a press conference Sunday.

The deceased person has not been identified. It's unclear the ages and conditions of the wounded victims.

A spokesperson for the Sheriff's office did not immediately respond to an Insider request for comment.

On Sunday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statement, saying, "Gathering for a holiday celebration should be a joyful occasion, not a time where gunfire erupts and families are forced to run for safety."

"As I've said time and time again, gun violence is a public health emergency in this country and I remain committed to banning these dangerous weapons and making our state safer for everyone," he added.

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