Police snare suspect after Independence Day parade shooting
A gunman on a rooftop opened fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago yesterday, killing at least six people, wounding at least 30 and sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers and children on bicycles fleeing in terror, police said.
Authorities said a 22-year-old man named as a person of interest in the shooting was taken into police custody after an hours-long manhunt.
The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.
‘‘It is devastating that a celebration of America was ripped apart by our uniquely American plague,’’ Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said.
‘‘I’m furious because it does not have to be this way . . . while we celebrate the Fourth of July just once a year, mass shootings have become a weekly – yes, weekly – American tradition.’’
The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration. Dozens of bullets sent hundreds of parade-goers – some visibly bloodied – fleeing. They left a trail of abandoned items that showed everyday life suddenly, violently disrupted: A half-eaten bag of potato chips; a box of chocolate cookies spilled onto the grass; a child’s Chicago Cubs cap.
‘‘There’s no safe place,’’ said Highland Park resident Barbara Harte, 73, who had stayed away from the parade fearing a mass shooting, but later ventured from her home.
Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said a police officer pulled over 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III about 8km north of the shooting scene, several hours after police released the man’s photo and an image of his silver Honda Fit, and warned the public that he was likely armed and dangerous.
Police declined to immediately identify Crimo as a suspect but said identifying him as a person of interest, sharing his name and other information publicly was a serious step.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said that several of the deceased had died at the scene and one was taken to a hospital and died there.