A rooftop gunman rained bullets on an upscale suburban Chicago Fourth of July parade Monday killing six people and wounding at least 30 in the latest mass shooting to terrorize gun-weary Americans.
The gunman picked off victims as they sat on the ground and in lawn chairs watching the parade, scattering terrified marchers, parents and flag-waving revelers during the holiday festivities in Highland Park, Ill.
Authorities said it was a lone shooter that turned the display into a deadly bloodbath, blasting parade-goers even as festive band music wafted above the crowd.
The gunfire rang out at a coveted spot along the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration.
Dozens of bullets sent hundreds of panicked marchers fleeing in all directions, leaving a trail of abandoned items including a half-eaten bag of potato chips; a box of chocolate cookies and a child’s Chicago Cubs cap.
“People started saying ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’” Highland Park resident Debbie Glickman, who was aboard a float, told the Associated Press. “So we just ran. We just ran. It’s like mass chaos down there.”
Another resident, Barbara Harte, 73, said she had feared something like this would happen, so she stayed away from the parade. Later, she ventured from her home.
“There’s no safe place,” Harte said.
A Lake County police officer walks down Central Ave on Monday, July 4, 2022, after a shooter fired on the northern suburb’s Fourth of July parade. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Zoe Nicole Pawelczak said she ran for cover with her dad when they realized what they heard weren’t bombs bursting in air in a festive display.
“It was like no fireworks that I heard,” she told ABC News.
The two cowered behind a dumpster, where they found a man who had placed his two young children inside the container to shield them from the carnage.
“He said his other son was lost on the streets. He said, ‘I have to go find my son. Can you watch my kids?’ So I watched his kids for him,” Pawelczak said.
“They were like ‘What’s going on?’ And I was like ‘It’s just fireworks, it’s OK,’ just trying to keep them calm. And we just hung out in the dumpster for a bit.”
First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Hours later, cops identified a suspect as Robert E. Crimo, 22. They said he was driving a silver Honda Fit, and was considered armed and dangerous. Police declined to answer questions about how they identified Crimo.
The Independence Day shooting was the latest in a stunning string of attacks to shatter the lives of everyday Americans.
The deadly mayhem comes weeks after shootings in schools, churches, grocery stores, in places where residents are still numb.
Law enforcement officials work the scene along the Highland Park Fourth of July parade route after people fled the scene on Monday, July 4, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Witnesses said they observed blankets covering bodies at the scene. Footage circulating on social media showed parade-goers scrambling and yelling as they fled.
“There were people that got separated from their families, looking for them,” Gina Troiani, who was there with her 5-year-old son, told the AP. “Others just dropped their wagons, grabbed their kids and started running.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a tweet his team was “closely monitoring the situation” and had “made all state resources available to the community.”
First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
The affluent town of Highland Park has been called home by Chicago athletes including Michael Jordan, who in 2020 listed his house there for just under $15 million, according to Forbes. It had previously listed at nearly double that amount. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen found a buyer for his 10,000 square-foot Highland Park mansion in 2021, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The village of Deerfield, Ill., located about 3 miles from Highland Park, canceled its parade following the shooting.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot described the incident as “devastating.”
“I have been in contact with Mayor Rotering and have offered our support, and the Chicago Police Department is providing assistance,” Lightfoot tweeted.
“We grieve with the families of the deceased and injured as well as the entire Highland Park community. Law enforcement is working hard to bring the shooter into custody. If anyone has information, we encourage them to call 911 and report what you know.”
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News