Highland Park parade shooting: Witnesses describe chaos after 7 killed, 39 injured

They stated as quickly because the gunfire began, individuals started operating for his or her lives.

Seven individuals and greater than 30 have been injured after a shooter opened hearth on the parade from a rooftop round 10 a.m. Monday.

Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo, III was recognized as an individual of curiosity within the taking pictures. He’s charged with seven counts of first diploma homicide.

Two days into their marriage, Matt and Brooke Strauss positioned their wedding ceremony flowers close to the scene to honor the victims.

“That is simply, it is tragedy! It is a tragedy. It is actually laborious to be right here proper now,” Brooke Strauss stated.

VIDEO: Folks flee as photographs fired at Highland Park parade

Indicators of the carnage nonetheless lay untouched close to the epicenter of the gunfire at Central and 2nd. Parade-goers left their belongings behind as they ran for his or her lives.

Howard Prayer stated whereas he was making an attempt to evacuate the downtown space, he noticed the suspect rushing away.

“I noticed the particular person. I believed it was a lady at first as a result of it was lengthy, darkish hair after which I noticed that is the shooter,” he stated.

“There aren’t any phrases to explain what occurred yesterday,” stated witness Zachary Katznelson. “I used to be within the entrance and some minutes earlier than the taking pictures occurred, I used to be proper the place it was. I simply really feel so fortunate. I’ve a few of that luck guilt that it may’ve been me. It may’ve been any of us within the band.”

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“Maintain one another tight as a group. Know that you’ve an entire nation that stands with, however it’s not going to undo what occurred,” the vice chairman stated.

Harris met with metropolis and state leaders, joined by the Second Gentleman, and frolicked with first responders and police earlier than talking briefly to the general public.

Earlier the attended the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation’s annual assembly in Chicago. She echoed the decision for extra gun reform legal guidelines in America, together with taking away entry to assault weapons.

Grief counselors have been stationed at Highland Park Excessive Faculty to assist the group.

“It was undoubtedly useful. The therapist gave us methods reminiscent of considering of that place the place we really feel at our heart, or blissful,” Katznelson stated.

However the highway to therapeutic will seemingly be an extended one.

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One witness stated “it appeared like a struggle zone,” and he was virtually trampled within the stampede after the photographs have been fired.

“This could not occur in our nation,” Paul Chesler stated.

“All I considered was getting my daughter to security, I ran along with her, we went to the closest McDonalds and he or she misplaced her shoe alongside the way in which, she was scared, all I simply wished was her to be secure,” stated Armani Garcia. “She was in entrance of walker brothers, she was gonna come sit subsequent to us. I will have the women cross over. They by no means made it throughout. The parade was happening and that is when every little thing occurred.”

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Dr. Wendy Rush was on the parade and attended to the wounded.

“We heard the gunfire after which it stopped and a number of individuals, everyone was leaping into motion,” Dr. Rush stated. “Folks recognized themselves as physicians, as nurses, anybody who may assist, had particular abilities. In our discipline as an anesthesiologist, we now have very specialised abilities managing respiration for individuals. We’re very effectively educated in CPR and superior life help and beginning IVs and other people have been simply serving to throughout.”

For 3 hours, Donald Johnson hid in a fuel station.

“There have been six or seven youngsters crying their eyes out, and the moms lastly received them settled down by singing ‘The Wheels On The Bus Go Spherical and Spherical,’” he stated.
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State Sen. Julie Morrison stated she was a few block away from the taking pictures.

“We heard gunshots that I sort of thought it was fireworks, then swiftly this wave of individuals begins operating again in the direction of us screaming, crying, hysterical, carrying their youngsters,” Morrison stated.

WATCH: Suburban parade taking pictures witnesses describe fleeing from gunfire, hiding youngsters

Within the aftermath of the taking pictures, police patrolled the realm with rifles.

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A lady who was on the parade along with her household stated her greatest good friend’s sister was amongst these shot.

“Folks screaming and operating, it was simply actually traumatizing and scary,” she stated.

Ariel Rotbol was strolling within the parade with a state consultant when she heard the gunshots.

“It was a struggle scene,” Rotbol stated. “Folks simply in hysteria. We noticed the helicopter, the automobiles, Homeland Safety coming in. In Highland Park, we now have not skilled this but and I do not assume anyone clearly thought that is what was going to occur at this time and it’s simply laborious to fathom.”