At least six people were killed and 24 injured in a shooting in the northern United States on Monday during an Independence Day parade, authorities said.
The suspect, described by police as a white male between the ages of 18 and 20, is on the run and “considered armed and dangerous”. The festivities have been suspended in Highland Park, a wealthy town north of Chicago, and in several surrounding towns, according to the police.
“We are assisting Highland Park Police after shootings on Parade Road,” Lake County Sheriff’s Department tweeted.
“The 4th of July party is cancelled, please avoid the center of Highland Park,” the municipality added on its Facebook page. According to the Illinois State Police, the situation remains “ongoing”.
Illinois State Governor JB Pritzker told WGN that he had information on “nine people affected”.
The shootings sowed panic in the streets of this wealthy little town on the shores of Lake Michigan, where hundreds of people had gathered in the morning for the 4th of July celebrations.
A witness to the shootings, Michael, interviewed by the WGN channel reported seeing a single shooter, armed with a rifle, “crouched on the ground, advancing in a methodical, almost military manner”.