Six people are confirmed dead and at least 24 others injured in a deadly Fourth of July parade shooting today. The parade was being held in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago according to officials. Police are calling the shooting a random act of violence. The shooting reportedly began about 10:14 a.m. Central Time.
The suspect has not been located. Highland Park police are searching for the gunman who has been described by witnesses as a white male between the ages of 18-20 wearing either a light blue or white tee-shirt. It appeared the shooter was firing from a roof, according got police. A short time after that report police said a high-powered rifle has been recovered from a roof of a building. Police added that the suspect should still be considered armed and dangerous.
The NorthShore University Health System said it has a total of 31 patients; most suffered gunshot wounds and afew were hurt in the chaos.
“I thought that it was the Navy that was saluting the flag with the rifles. But then when I saw people running, I picked up my son and started running,” one witness told The Associated Press.
“We ran behind the building and I put my son in a dumpster … and I went back to look for the rest of my family,” he said. “It was just horrible.”
According to reports, Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the shooting, and the FBI has sent resources to the scene.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also has agents on the scene and is conducting an urgent trace on the recovered gun, according to a law enforcement source.
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