US President Joe Biden expressed his “shock” on Monday shooting accident The incident took place at the Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, while police identified the suspect.
“Gil (the first lady) and I are shocked by the senseless gun violence that once again brought grief to American society on Independence Day,” Biden said in a statement. “As always, we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement at the scene.”
He explained that he directed “federal law enforcement to assist in the urgent search for the shooter, who is still at large at this time.”
He added that he signed “the first major bipartisan gun violence reform bill in nearly 30 years, which includes actions that will save lives, but there is a lot of work to be done, and I won’t give up on fighting gun violence.”
Identification of the shooter
Police identified the shooter as 22-year-old Robert Cremo, and said he was driving a silver Honda at the time of the accident.
“He is armed and dangerous,” police spokesman Christopher Coveli told reporters, urging residents not to approach him if they saw him.
Officials revealed that a gun was recovered from the scene.
More than 36 people were injured, most of them with gunshot wounds, said Jim Anthony, a spokesman for North Shore University Hospitals. Brigham Temple, an emergency room physician, said the 26 victims who were taken to Highland Park Hospital were aged between 8 and 85.
A senior Mexican foreign ministry official said on Twitter that at least one of the dead was a Mexican citizen.
The authorities initially described the shooting as a “random act” but the motive has not yet been established.
Police said earlier that they were still searching for the suspect.
The festive parade was stopped suddenly when shots were fired about 10 minutes after it began, prompting hundreds of people to flee in search of a safe haven, according to a video clip.
People fled for cover following reports of a shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois on Monday. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they were assisting police in responding to the shooting in the north Chicago suburb. https://t.co/2iO2vPCw7Y pic.twitter.com/x4Q05pWjZA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 4, 2022
RT @mtarm: I’m at the scene of the mass shooting in #HighlandPark _ outside Chicago. Baby carriages strewn about. pic.twitter.com/iV2lT0gpUQ
— Big 8 News by David (@big8news) July 4, 2022
CBS2 television in Chicago, quoting a producer who was present at the show, reported that people fled the scene when they heard gunshots.
“Everyone was running and hiding and screaming,” said Elisa Kaufman, CBS2 digital producer.