Independence Day parade mass shooting in Illinois

Initial reports: Police are responding to a shooting in downtown Highland Park, Illinois, in the area of a July 4th parade, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said. The city of Highland Park, a suburb about 25 miles north of Chicago, said its Independence Day parade has been canceled and advised people to avoid downtown.

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Reporter Lynn Sweet posts image of Highland Park Independence Day shooting aftermath.. blood on the ground and dead bodies appear to be laying in the background.. discretion advised

MORE FROM SUN TIMES REPORTER LYNN SWEET:

A Fourth of July parade-goer runs for cover after gunfire was heard at the parade Monday morning.

MORE FROM THE SUN TIMES REPORT:

Several witnesses said they heard multiple shots fired. One witness said he counted more than 20 shots.

Miles Zaremski, a Highland Park resident, told the Sun-Times: “I heard 20 to 25 shots, which were in rapid succession. So it couldn’t have been just a handgun or a shotgun.”

Zaremski said that after the shots at Central Avenue around Second Avenue in downtown Highland Park, he saw “people in that area that got shot,” including “a woman covered with blood … She did not survive.”

There are reports that the Highland Park Independence Day shooting may have been on top of a building ..

More..

The parade route was near Central Avenue and Second Street.

The parade was stopped about 10 minutes after it kicked off at 10 a.m. when shots were fired, striking an unknown number of parade-goers and sending hundreds of people running for safety.

A Chicago Sun-Times reporter saw blankets covering three bloodied bodies and five other people wounded and bloodied near the parade’s reviewing stand. Several witnesses said they heard multiple shots fired. One witness said he counted more than 20 shots.

Police were telling people: “Everybody disperse, please. It is not safe to be here.”