In suburban Chicago: Several dead after shooting at independence celebration

Gunshots rang out in the small US town of Highland Park shortly after the start of the Independence Day parade.

In suburban Chicago: Several dead after shooting at independence celebration

Gunshots rang out in the small US town of Highland Park shortly after the start of the Independence Day parade. According to the authorities, there are 5 dead and 16 injured. The parade is aborted, the perpetrator is said to be still on the run.

In the US small town of Highland Park in the state of Illinois, there are said to be 5 dead and 16 injured after gunshots at an Independence Day parade. This is reported by local authorities. According to CNN, shots were fired shortly after the parade began in the city, which is about 40 kilometers north of Chicago. Eyewitnesses report that around 20 to 25 shots were fired. According to the police, the perpetrator is still on the run.

According to the "Dailymail", the shooter is said to have opened fire on the parade from the roof of a shop. Some attendees initially mistook the shots for fireworks, part of the celebrations. Then more and more people started running.

Brad Schneider, a member of the House of Representatives for the Democrats, reports on Twitter that he has heard of fatalities. A reporter for the "Chicago Sun Times" reported three bodies that were lying on the streets and were covered.

The parade began at 10 a.m. local time, and gunshots were heard about ten minutes later. The parade has now been canceled and people are asked to avoid the downtown area. Highland Park is considered a very affluent area on the outskirts of the metropolis Chicago.