Text/Look at the United States
The shooting occurred as the United States is trying to curb the surge in gun violence. It comes after a series of recent deadly incidents, including a massacre at a Texas elementary school, renewed calls for tighter gun control in the United States.
On the past July 4th ( Independence Day ), officials in Highland Park, Illinois, USA said that a mass shooting occurred in the suburbs of Chicago. At least 6 people were killed, 24 were injured, and one person was injured. Gunman opens fire from rooftop during Independence Day parade. Later, officials said at a news conference on Monday that the attack killed six people, sent 24 people to the hospital, and that a rifle was found at the scene. A hospital spokesman later reported that 31 people were injured.
Hours after this latest shooting, authorities continued to search for the suspect, described as a white male wearing a white or blue T-shirt. Police later identified 22-year-old Robert E Crimo III as the "person of interest" in the incident, saying Crimo was considered armed and dangerous. The shooter apparently used a "high-powered rifle" and fired from the top of a building that made it "very difficult to see" him, Lake County Major Crime Squad spokesman Christopher Covelli told reporters.
Hundreds of march participants - some of whom were visibly bloodied - fled the attack in Highland Park, Illinois, a community of about 30,000 residents about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Chicago. Many people left behind chairs, prams and blankets, and witnesses reported seeing bloodstained bodies covered with blankets. "Our community has been horrified by the violence and it has shaken us to our core," Mayor Nancy Rolling told reporters Monday afternoon. "Our hearts are with the families of the victims during this devastating time."
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the march started at 10 a.m. local time (15:00 GMT), but was suddenly stopped after 10 minutes due to gunfire. Amalani Garcia, who was at the march with her young daughter, told local ABC affiliate that she heard gunfire nearby, then what she suspected was reloading, and then another. More gunshots were heard. "People were screaming and running," Garcia said. "It was really traumatic and I was so scared. My daughter and I were hiding in a little store and it made me feel like we weren't safe anymore."
Highland Park resident Debbie Glickman said she was parading on a float with colleagues and was about to turn onto the main road when she saw people running from the area. "People started saying, 'There's a shooter, there's a shooter, there's a shooter,' so we ran, we just ran, and it was chaos," Debbie Glickman said.
Police have not yet released details of the victims and injured. Condition. U.S. Congressman Brad Snyder, whose district includes Highland Park, said he and his campaign were gathering at the start of the march when the shooting began. He wrote on Twitter, "My condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims; my prayers for those injured and my community; and my commitment to do whatever I can to make our children, our towns, and our country safer. "Enough is enough! Enough is enough!"
Gun violence has been a problem in the United States for years, prompting condemnation and calls for gun control, especially in the wake of mass shootings. The recent attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers, and the attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 black people These calls have grown louder in the wake of racist shootings.
Late last month, US President Joe Biden signed the first major federal gun reform bill in 30 years. The bill includes strengthening background checks for the youngest gun buyers, preventing more domestic violence offenders from obtaining guns, and helping states enact red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to seize weapons from people considered dangerous.And on Monday afternoon, in a statement about the Highland Park shooting, Biden expressed shock that "on this Independence Day, senseless gun violence has once again brought grief to American communities."
According to the US non-profit organization "Gun Violence Archives", there have been 308 mass shootings in the United States this year. The organization defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people, not including the attacker, are shot.
