- Police have arrested a person of interest in a
mass shooting at a July 4th parade in Illinois. - 6 people were killed and at least 31 injured in the shooting.
Police have arrested a person of interest in a shooting that targeted a
Authorities are now questioning 22-year-old area resident named Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III following a two-hour manhunt Monday evening.
The parade began around 10 a.m. Monday, but was stopped 10 minutes later after the shots were fired, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
A 40-second clip shared on TikTok and later removed showed the parade abruptly halt after gunshots were heard. Parade-goers left their belongings behind as they got up to seek safety.
Another video posted to Twitter by
—Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) July 4, 2022
Five adults were killed on the scene, while one died after being transported, coroner Jennifer Banek said.
Fire Chief Joe Schrage said his department transported about 24 people to the hospital, while additional injured people brought themselves in. Schrage also said members of the public reacted quickly to apply tourniquets and control bleeding, which "greatly helped" first responders' efforts.
Police said they are investigating the city's central business district where the gunman opened fire from a nearby roof, which they said was accessed from an "unsecured" ladder in a back alleyway.
"There's no indication he's barricaded anywhere or has any hostages," said Chris Covelli, Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesperson. "It does appear he was shooting from a roof. The roof he was shooting from, I have no indication of that right now."
Covelli didn't disclose a motive for the shooting but said it "appears to be completely random."
Police told people to disperse, saying, "It is not safe to be here," according to AP News.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker shared on Twitter that he was "closely monitoring the situation" in Highland Park and that state police are on the scene. A search involving K9 units and drones was still underway in the area as of 3:30 p.m. local time.
"This morning at 10:14 our community was terrorized by an act of violence that has shaken us to our core," Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said at a press briefing. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims during this devastating time. On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we're instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us."
The city's "Fourth Fest" has been canceled and the public is being urged to avoid the downtown area.
President Joe Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden were "shocked" at the