An unnamed shooter who opened fire on unprepared onlookers from a rooftop during a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in a suburb outside of Chicago on Monday left at least six people dead, wounded almost two dozen more, and started a large manhunt for him.
The shooting in Highland Park, some 25 miles north of Chicago, began just after 10 a.m. CT as parade watchers enjoyed a bright Fourth of July march down Central Avenue.
According to Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, “We are actively searching for the person accountable for this shooting.”
The assailant has been named by police as a Caucasian male between the ages of 18 and 20, who is “armed and dangerous” and appears to have chosen at random to open fire on parade spectators while using a potent rifle.
The suspect has not yet been apprehended, despite the fact that police continued to hunt for him more than six hours later, focusing their efforts with the aid of police dogs and drones on the parade route, the downtown area, and the central business district.
At a press briefing, Northshore Medical Group’s medical director for emergency preparedness, Brigham Temple, said that although the identities of the victims have not been released, 26 patients were initially evaluated at Highland Park Hospital. 25 of them, ranging in age from 8 to 85, were shot.
He claimed that 19 of the patients received treatment and were then discharged. According to Temple, some of the remaining patients had critical and dangerous conditions. He claimed that several of them were taken to local trauma hospitals.
According to Temple, the hospital treated perhaps four or five kids.
Highland Park Fire Chief Joe Schrage said six persons were brought to Lake Forest Hospital and seven were sent to Evanston Hospital.
