'Bloodbath': At Least 6 Dead, Dozens Wounded in Mass Shooting at Illinois July 4th Parade

Quoting my husband: "We can no longer say 'this isn’t who we are.' It is exactly who we are." Tragically, horrifyingly, heartbreakingly true. "This is America. Brutal, violent, backwards, gun-loving America." We cannot heal and transform what we deny. Opening our eyes, hearts, and minds and uniting to bring about radical systemic changes in our nation and world is more critical now than at any time in our human history. Otherwise, the bloodbath will continue and grow. May we be individually and collectively shaken awake NOW! 🙏 Molly

A woman runs after a shooting took place during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois on Monday. (Photo: Screenshot/ Video by Lynn Sweet)

"What freedom do we have if we fear being gunned down at a parade?" asked one progressive politician horrified by the reported carnage.

By BRETT WILKINS  

Panicked children and adults ran for their lives Monday as at least six people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a mass shooting that took place during a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

Veteran Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet—who described the scene of the shooting as a "bloodbath"—said she saw blankets covering three bloodied bodies and five other people wounded and bloodied near the parade viewing stand.

More than 30 people who were wounded—mostly by gunshots but some from the ensuing chaos at the parade—were taken to local hospitals.

"We have an active shooter situation in Highland Park, at their parade. It's been reported that there've been nine people shot," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. "I've been in touch with our state police, who are backing up local police and hoping to keep the crowd safe there."

Highland Park resident Miles Zaremski told the paper: "I heard 20 to 25 shots, which were in rapid succession. So it couldn't have been just a handgun or a shotgun."

CBS Chicago digital producer Elyssa Kaufman, who was watching the parade with her family, said that "everyone was running, hiding and screaming."

"It was extremely terrifying," she added. "It was very scary. We are very fortunate, we got out very quickly."

Gun control advocates lamented the latest of more than 300 U.S. mass shootings this year.

"Another horrifying day in America," tweeted anti-poverty activist Joe Sanberg. "We must do everything we can to end gun violence."

Democratic Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker tweeted that "freedom to die at a holiday parade is not freedom," while Ohio progressive Nina Turner asked, "What freedom do we have if we fear being gunned down at a parade?"

Separately, at least nine people were killed and scores more were wounded—with the injured ranging in age from 10 to 90—in Chicago shootings over the July 4th weekend.

Please go here for the original article: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/07/04/bloodbath-least-6-dead-dozens-wounded-mass-shooting-illinois-july-4th-parade