5 dead after gunfire erupts at July 4th parade near Chicago | Gun Violence News
US city of Highland Park says 16 people transferred to hospital, 5 confirmed dead after Independence Day shooting.
Five people have been killed in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, the city confirmed, after gunfire broke out at an Independence Day parade.
Highland Park said in a statement on Monday that 16 people were transferred to hospital and five were confirmed dead.
“Law enforcement agencies are searching for the suspect; evidence of a firearm has been recovered. Numerous law enforcement officers are responding and have secured a perimeter around downtown Highland Park,” the city said on its website.
The shooting sent hundreds of parade-goers – some visibly bloodied – fleeing, with many leaving behind chairs, baby strollers and blankets. Witnesses described seeing bloodied bodies covered with blankets.
The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported that the parade began around 10am local time (15:00 GMT) but was suddenly halted 10 minutes later after shots were fired.
The tragedy unfolding in Highland Park is devastating. I have been in contact with Mayor Rotering and have offered our support, and the Chicago Police Department is providing assistance. We grieve with the families of the deceased and injured as well as
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 4, 2022
Police told people: “Everybody disperse, please. It is not safe to be here.”
Congressman Brad Schneider, whose district includes Highland Park, said he and his campaign team had been gathering at the start of the parade when the shooting started.
“Hearing of loss of life and others injured,” Schneider wrote on Twitter.
“My condolences to the family and loved ones; my prayers for the injured and for my community; and my commitment to do everything I can to make our children, our towns, our nation safer. Enough is enough!”
Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot also said “the tragedy unfolding in Highland Park is devastating”.
“I have been in contact with Mayor [Nancy] Rotering and have offered our support, and the Chicago Police Department is providing assistance. We grieve with the families of the deceased and injured as well as the entire Highland Park community,” she tweeted.
Gun violence has been a problem across the United States for decades, drawing condemnation and calls for stricter gun laws, especially in the aftermath of mass shootings.
Today a shooter struck in Highland Park during the Independence Day parade. My campaign team and I were gathering at the start of the parade when shooting started. My team and I are safe and secure. We are monitoring the situation closely and in touch with the Mayor.
— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) July 4, 2022
Those calls recently grew louder in the aftermath of an attack at a primary school in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers, and after a racist shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, left 10 Black people dead.
Late last month, US President Joe Biden signed into law the first major federal gun reform in three decades.
The bipartisan compromise falls short of what is really needed, Biden acknowledged on June 25, but he said it will “save lives”.
The bill includes provisions to toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people deemed to be dangerous.
