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| Photo Credit: AP. |
At least 6 persons were shot dead and about 30 persons injured when a shooter fired on a July 4 Independence Day parade from a rooftop in suburban Chicago, The Associated Press reports.
Police
mounted a manhunt and traffic stop in search of the assailant which led to the
arrest of a man authorities described as a person of interest Monday evening.
The attack
took place in Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on Chicago’s
north shore, according to The Associated Press.
“It
definitely hits a lot harder when it’s not only your hometown but it’s also
right in front of you,” resident Ron Tuazon said as he and a friend returned to
the parade route Monday evening to retrieve chairs, blankets and a child’s bike
that he and his family abandoned when the shooting began, according to The
Associated Press.
“It’s
commonplace now,” Tuazon said. “We don’t blink anymore. Until laws change, it’s
going to be more of the same.”
The shooting
happened at a spot on the parade route where many residents had created viewing
points in the day as they prepare for the annual celebration.
As the
victims fled, they left behind different items such as box of chocolate cookies
spilled onto the grass, a child’s Chicago Cubs cap, baby strollers, some
bearing American flags, according to The Associated Press.
“There’s no safe place,” said Highland Park
resident Barbara Harte, 73, The Associated Press reported. She had stayed away
from the parade for fear of the almost recurrent mass shooting that is typical
of such events.
Highland
Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said a police officer pulled over Robert E. Crimo
III about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of the shooting scene, several hours
after police released the man’s photo and warned that he was likely armed and
dangerous, the website added. Authorities initially said he was 22 but an FBI
bulletin Crimo’s social media reportedly said he was 21.
At a news
conference, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli
said “several of the deceased victims” died at the scene and one died at a
hospital, according to The Associated Press.
A statement
by Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill said the gunman apparently used
a “high-powered rifle” to fire from a spot atop a commercial building where he
was “very difficult to see,” according to The Associated Press. He added that officers recovered the rifle at
the scene and also found a ladder attached to the building.
Highland
Park is a close-knit community on the shores of Lake Michigan. The mass
shooting is coming after President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun control
bill following mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde.
.