On Independence Day, another mass shooting occurred in Highland Park during a 4th of July parade.
Highland Park is a well known, influential suburb in the city of Chicago. The beautiful city is known for its trees and nature-scenery setting but after July 4th, 2022, the Fourth of July parade has left a new memory. This July 4th, Monday, 6 people have been confirmed dead and about 2 dozen have been injured after a shooting.
The shooting started at the 4th of July Parade that goes through Highland Park. The pandemic stalled the parade since 2019, and this year was its first return since July 2019. Highand Park residents expected the event to start with a children and pets parade, according to USA Today. Authorities have confirmed that the gunman started shooting from a rooftop and down onto the parade route. The shooting, or gun shots, started at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Monday.
The Mayor of Highland Park, Nancy Rotering, gave a statement according to USA Today, "On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us."
The city of Highland Park has a population of about 30,000 people. It is 25 miles from the downtown city of Chicago. The Central Business District attracts Highland Park residents, but there are also many lakes and trails there. It is an influential neighborhood because the household income was about $147,000 in 2020 and is twice the average household income for all of the US.
The 4th of July Parade was widely looked forward to and up until 2019 it occurred every year. There was a festival with music scheduled, as well as floats and marching bands, and community entries. But, the unfortunate shooting has changed the course of the parade.
As of 6 pm ET, the manhunt is still underway. Live updates are being sourced by CNN from residents and city officials.
"Miles Zaremski, a Highland Park, Illinois, resident, told CNN he was walking to the Fourth of July parade when he heard a "pop" and thought that maybe a car backfired."
"Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he's "closely monitoring" the situation in Highland Park. State police are on the scene and we have made all state resources available to the community," the governor tweeted Monday.[CNN]
"Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat who represents the 10th District in Illinois, tweeted that he and his team were about to join the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park when the "shooting started." [CNN]
ABC reports that a person of interest has been identified, and the Chicago Sun Times also reports that the person of interest was identified through "investigative leads" (Chicago Sun Times). "Authorities continued to hunt late Monday afternoon for the shooter, who authorities said shortly before 5 p.m. that they had identified Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III" (Chicago Sun Times). The gunman used a rifle, but specifics have not been confirmed. He was firing from the rooftop and reported to have been discreet. Drones, dogs, and helicopters were used to aid the discovery of the shooter.
We hope that there are more updates to come, and that the wounded residents of Highland Park have a full recovery. To the 6 souls that passed, may they rest in peace.
For more updates on this story, follow the author.
Source:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/7/4/23194354/highland-park-fourth-july-parade-gunfire
Comments / 0