The attack occurred just minutes after the ceremony began, at 10 am (local time), in the center of Highland Park, according to international agencies. The shooter climbed onto a roof and used a rifle to fire the shots.
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In a statement, authorities reported that the suspect of committing the crime is a white man, with long black hair, aged between 18 and 20 years old. The federal police spokesperson requested that people who filmed the parade send the images to assist in the investigation and location of the shooter.
Several videos posted on social media recorded the moment of the attack. It is possible to observe that adults and children were sitting on the sidewalks, in a festive atmosphere, while following the parade. In the background, two sequences of shots are heard. The crowd takes a while to realize what is happening.
Soon after, people run desperately in an attempt to protect themselves from the gunfire.
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@drjnoticias Report of shooting during the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, a town in Chicago, United States. Via: @leonarcos11#tiroteo #for you #fy #news #U.S #4july # july4 #independenceday #chicago #shooting #news #doctorjnoticias #viral
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The 4th of July is considered one of the biggest national celebrations in the USA. The date marks the country's independence. During the festivities, a civic parade with live bands is common.
Gun control
The shooting should reignite the debate on restricting access to weapons in the country. This case joins others that have occurred recently in the USA.
In May, a shooter killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. In the same month, ten people were killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, by an 18-year-old white man.
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President Joe Biden released a statement about the attack. In a statement, he states that he is shocked by the senseless armed violence and that he will continue the fight against firearms. “I will not stop fighting the epidemic of gun violence,” promeyour.
Curto curation
- Understand why carrying weapons in the USA is a constitutional right (BBC News Brasil)
- Find out why the US is the country with the most mass shootings (CNN Brazil)
- Check out the Supreme Court's decision to increase access to firearms in the USA
(Top photo: Reproduction/Wikimedia Commons)
