Fourth of July Parade Shooting in Highland Park, Illinois Leaves Seven Dead
UPDATED 7/5: A shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill. has left seven people dead and more than 30 others injured, according to the New York Times.
A 21-year-old identified as a person of interest in the case was placed into custody early Monday evening. Robert E. Crimo III was later charged with seven counts of murder.
Reports indicate that shots were heard approximately 10 minutes after the parade had commenced at 10 a.m. CT. The victims range in age from 8 years old to 85 years old. Authorities have stated that they believe the gunman had used a high-powered rifle, firing from a rooftop near the parade.
Highland Park’s government has informed residents to avoid the downtown area, though its initial statement did not specifically reference that a shooting had occurred. The city posted the message to its official Facebook page at 10:45 a.m. CT.
“Highland Park Police are responding to an incident in downtown Highland Park. All 4th of July events have been canceled. Please avoid downtown Highland Park. Take shelter if in downtown HP. More information will be shared as it becomes available,” reads the statement.
Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering shared the same message on Twitter.
Neighboring towns such as Deerfield, Ill. have reportedly canceled their own official Fourth of July festivities since the incident began in Highland Park. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot has stated that the city’s police department is providing assistance to Highland Park “to bring the shooter into custody.”
“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,” Illinois Governor J.N. Pritzker said in a statement Monday afternoon. “There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their futures.”
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet shared a brief video of the parade’s abrupt conclusion. The footage shows groups of people fleeing from the area. Sweet also shared images of noticeably bloodied individuals from the area.
Actress Rachel Brosnahan shared that she was raised in Highland Park and called the Fourth of July parade “a highlight of the year for so many families.”
“I’m sick to my stomach every time news like this comes out, but I don’t wish the pit in your stomach as you call your family and friends to make sure everyone is okay on anyone,” Brosnahan wrote. “No words.”
I grew up in Highland Park and this parade is a highlight of the year for so many families. I’m sick to my stomach every time news like this comes out, but I don’t wish the pit in your stomach as you call your family and friends to make sure everyone is okay on anyone. No words. https://t.co/5dE7JB8Z17
— Rachel Brosnahan (@RachelBros) July 4, 2022
The Highland Park shooting comes amidst a series of devastating mass shootings in the United States. In late May, 19 students and two adults were killed by a gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Days before, another gunman opened fire on a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. while livestreaming his attack on Twitch. Calls for stricter gun control laws have been reignited across the United States in recent months as a response to the sequence of tragedies.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
