US Police have arrested a suspect after the killing of six people in a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
The suspect, identified as Robert E. Crimo III, aged 22, was detained after a brief chase, the Police said. The gunman climbed onto a roof, shooting randomly at spectators using a high-powered rifle.
Reports indicated that it is the latest mass shooting to hit the US, as there has been one in every week of 2022. US President, Joe Biden, said he Is “shocked” by the violence. Hours later, two Police officers were wounded in a shooting in Philadelphia during a 4th of July fireworks display.
Crimo is under detention after a manhunt, with the Police referring to him as a “person of interest” in Monday’s (July 4, 2022) shooting. But after his arrest, the Police said they believed he was responsible.
A Happy Day Gone Bad
The gunman opened fire at the parade, near the city of Chicago, at around 10:15 local time (15:15 GMT), just a few minutes after it began. The event was scheduled to include floats, marching bands, and community entertainment as part of the city’s Independence Day celebrations.
But what should have been one of the happiest days of the year, quickly turned to panic, with pushchairs, purses and lawn chairs left discarded on the street as crowds fled from the scene. Some witnesses said they thought the sound of gunfire was fireworks.
According to reports, the gunman fired at members of the public from the rooftop of a nearby shop, where police recovered “evidence of a firearm”. Five adults were killed at the scene, as well as a further victim who the local coroner said died in a nearby hospital. It is also reported that at least, two dozen others were injured. One of those who died has been named as Nicolas Toledo, a man in his late 70s, who was only there because he requires full-time care and his family did not want to miss the event.
“We went to have a nice family day out, and then suddenly all this gunfire happens,” said Anand P, who was there during the parade. At the time I personally wanted to believe it was a car backfiring. Then people started running, so we start running.”
Family of Nicolas Toledo
Another witness, Noel Hara, described how he was having breakfast at Starbucks after dropping off his son at the parade when the chaos unfolded.
“About 30 people suddenly came rushing in screaming and we were locked into the Starbucks bathroom,” Mr. Hara disclosed to the media, as he revealed that “Moments later, they evacuated us from the Starbucks because they thought the shooter was trying to get in the back door”.
Battling an ‘American Tradition’
As it stands, no charges have been filed against Mr. Crimo and there is no indication of any motive. Also, social media firms suspended accounts apparently belonging to Mr. Crimo, who posted rap videos under an alias.
The attack in Highland Park comes just a month after deadly shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. Illinois Governor, Jay Robert Pritzker, warned that mass shootings were becoming an “American tradition”.
“There are going to be people who are going to say that today is not the day, that now is not the time to talk about guns. I’m telling you there is no better day and no better time than right here and right now.”
Illinois Governor, Jay Robert Pritzker
President Biden on the other hand, vowed to keep fighting “the epidemic of gun violence” in the country. “I’m not going to give up,” he said, speaking outside the White House in Washington DC.
Last week, the President signed the first significant federal bill on gun safety in nearly 30 years. The bill, which has now been passed into law, imposes tougher checks on young buyers and encourages states to remove guns from people considered a threat, but critics are of the view that the measures don’t go far enough.
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