Summary

  • Police have been giving updates on a man held after a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois

  • They say Robert E Crimo III, 21, who is in custody, planned the shooting for several weeks and wore women's clothing to blend into the crowd

  • He purchased his two rifles legally and fired more than 70 rounds, Chris Covelli, crime task force spokesman says

  • The shooting appears to be completely random with no religion or race motives, he adds

  • Two victims have been identified; The family of Nicolas Toledo, from Mexico, paid tribute to a "loving, adventurous" man

  • Jacki Sundheim was described as a "beloved" staff member by her local synagogue

  • They were among six people killed and more than three dozen injured

  • It was devastating that a celebration of the US was ripped apart by a "uniquely American plague", Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker said

  • US President Biden expressed shock and said he would not give up fighting the gun violence “epidemic”

  • Highland Park sits north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan

Live Reporting

Edited by Claire Heald

  1. Suburbs in lockdown as gunman on loose

    Marianna Brady, in Evanston, Illinois

    Police deploy after gunfire erupted at a Fourth of July parade route in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois,Reuters

    Highland Park, an affluent suburb of Chicago, has become the latest scene of a US mass shooting

    Across the Chicago suburbs, parade-goers set up lawn chairs to claim their spots on the parade route the night before – poised to celebrate the first Independence Day without Covid restrictions in two summers.

    But this Fourth of July, celebrations were disrupted in the late morning, as the Highland Park parade became the most recent target for a US mass shooter.

    The nearby suburbs have gone into lockdown, cancelling local parades and firework shows across the area.

    People are afraid to leave their homes and beaches are being evacuated.

    Gun violence in Chicago (whose centre lies to the south of here) tends to rise over holiday weekends – as the hot weather sends people outdoors. In 2021, over 100 people were shot and 17 killed over the Fourth of July weekend in the city of Chicago.

    The shooting comes just a month after the deadly shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York – and a week after the US Congress passed the first bipartisan legislation on guns in America.

  2. Community 'shaken to our core' - mayor

    Mayor of Highland Park, Nancy Rotering, says the community is "mourning the tragic loss of life" from today's incident.

    "This morning at 10:14 (15:14 GMT) our community was terrorised by an act of violence that has shaken us to our core," she tells reporters.

    She thanks the emergency responders, who she says responded "selflessly and put themselves at risk to save others".

    "This is an active situation," she reiterates, urging people to remain indoors, be on high alert but stay calm and to contact loved ones to let them know they are safe.

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  3. Suspect described as white male, aged 18-20

    Police searching suspect in Highland ParkReuters

    Chris O’Neill, of Highland Park Police Department, has been briefing the press about the “active shooter incident”.

    The shooting occurred in downtown Highland Park “during our 4th July holiday parade this morning” - just 10 minutes into the celebrations, he says.

    Police described the incident as "active" with “all individuals urged to shelter in place at this time.”

    O'Neill said local police, other state and federal police “are still searching for the suspect”.

    “The suspect is described as a male, white, approximately 18-20 years old, with long black hair, a small build and wearing a white or blue t-shirt.”

    He says a firearm was recovered from the scene and a perimeter secured around downtown Highland Park.

    “We are continuing our searches,” he says.

    Six people have so far died and “two dozen” people transported to hospital, he confirmed.

  4. What are witnesses saying?

    The Fourth of July parade in Highland Park was suddenly halted about 10 minutes after it began, when several shots were heard, local reports say.

    Local resident Miles Zaremski told the Chicago Sun-Times he heard 20 to 25 shots in rapid succession.

    Speaking to local television station WGN, a witness called Michael said: "Immediately to the left of us he started shooting again."

  5. Six dead, two dozen injured

    Officials say six people are dead and 24 are have been taken to hospital after a shooting in the Illinois city of Highland Park, north of Chicago.

    The shooting happened at as people began to celebrate an Independence Day parade.

    The suspect is still at large and people in the area have been warned to take shelter or stay indoors.

    We will bring you more as we have it.