HORROR SCENES
Chilling video shows hundreds fleeing Highland Park July 4 parade after gunfire erupted with 6 killed and 24 hurt
A FOURTH of July parade had a tragic twist after an unidentified gunman opened fire, killing six people and injuring over 20 others.
A video posted to TikTok shows in Highland Park
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The video shows what appears to be a school marching band walking down the parade route with bystanders looking on, as someone yells “Gunshots.”
The band members and onlookers all began running.
“Oh my god, there's gunshots,” the young boy recording yelled.
“I can’t believe I have to record this.”
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All of the decedents were adults, the coroner said.
Five died at the scene, and another died at the hospital.
At least 24 people were treated at medical facilities, others went to hospitals themselves.
At least one child is critically injured, said police. The status of that child is still unknown.
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General injuries ranged from critical to serious, with gunshot wounds to the chest, abdomen and other body parts.
Police say they were able to quickly get to the victims and several bystanders helped apply medical aid.
Sirens were heard as frightened parade-goers appeared to enter a parking lot.
The suspect is still at large and he is believed to be armed and dangerous.
The suspect was described by police as a white male between 18 and 20 years old with long black hair and wearing a white or blue t-shirt.
Police said he was shooting from a rooftop, with a high-powered rifle. It is believed he scaled a ladder to get to the rooftop.
The rifle was recovered on the rooftop, according to police.
A little boy was found alone and covered in blood during the parade, however, he has since been reunited with his grandparents.
A local chef found the boy and kept him safe as it was unclear at first if he had attended the parade with his parents or grandparents.
Photos showed the boy’s ankles and shoes covered in what appeared to be blood stains, however, it was unclear whether it was his blood or someone else’s.
HORRIFIC DETAILS
Several witnesses told the they heard 20-25 shots fired.
“On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we’re instead mourning the loss, the tragic loss, of life, and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said.
"We saw individuals who responded selflessly and put themselves at risk to save others," she said, thanking first responders.
“There are no words for the kind of monster who lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois said in a statement.
Rotering encouraged the public to stay indoors and on high alert.
Deputy Police Chief Chris Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the attack appears to be random and that other nearby cities would need to decide for themselves if they should host more July 4 events, noting the suspect is still at large.
Rotering canceled the Fourth Fest carnival following the parade.
Many local towns canceled their own parades.
State and local police, Chicago Police, the FBI, and SWAT teams are helping locate the shooter.
They are going door to door to find the suspect.
Police do not believe the shooter is barricaded anywhere or has any hostages.
They are confident it is only one shooter at this time.
Eric Trotter, a Highland Park resident, told the he thought the gunshots were fireworks at first.
"I thought they were starting the fireworks later, so it was confusing to me,” he said.
Shawn Cotreau man visiting his in-laws told the times he fled with his wife and three young children.
At the time he was around 20 feet from the rooftop
“And my wife looks up and screams, ‘Get up, run. Get up, run.’ I turned around and I could see the shooter,” Cotreau, said
“I can’t even get the image of the guy out of my head.
“He was just opening up fire and I saw the bullets hitting the tree that was like literally in front of us.”
Cotreau told the Times that the main parade had not reached where they were at the time of the shooting, so the gunman was firing at the bystanders
“I was right in front of him and then he increased his range because you can see him just starting to spray and it never stopped."
I felt like the firing was going on for at least three straight minutes before he reloaded.”
He picked up his toddler, and eventually, the whole family, including his elderly in-laws, were able to hug a wall to escape the shooter.
“Once we crossed the street, we turned the corner, and we kind of just hid for a while because we didn’t know if he was still alive, where he was.
"We could still hear the gunshots.”
He said one of his kids never wants to leave the house again.
Carlos Ramirez, a Highland Park public works employee, told the Times many confused the gunshots with fireworks.
“I heard shots,” he said.
“Everyone seemed to confuse it with fireworks and then they started running.”
Many people abandoned their chairs in the chaos.
Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois was at the parade with his campaign staff, all of whom are safe.
"Hearing of loss of life and others injured. My condolences to the family and loved ones," he tweeted.
A woman working for Sunset Foods, a local food store, told she was getting ready to march in the parade when she heard the gunshots and saw the gunman on the rooftop, prompting her to go back into the store.
Gabriela Martinez, another witness told CBS she shielded her young daughter from the gunshots, and went into the store to find two women with gunshot wounds
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“It couldn’t have been just a handgun or a shotgun,” Miles Zaremski told the Sun-Times.
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Zaremski said he saw “a woman covered with blood" and others shot.
Those with information or videos should call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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