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In July 4 US parade shooting, suspect held hours after 6 killed, dozens injured
July 4 parade shooting: The suspect - Robert E Crimo III - is 22-year-old. He was reportedly spotted by a North Chicago officer.
Robert E Crimo III, a person of interest linked to a shooting in the United States that killed six people and wounded more than 36, has been held. This was hours after a man - carrying a high-powered rifle - was reported to have opened fire from a rooftop at a parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. This is the latest incident of gun violence rearing its ugly head in the country. Robert, 22, is believed to be the man behind the attack. "This individual is believed to have been responsible for what happened," Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Chris Covelli was quoted as saying in a BBC report.
Here are top updates on the latest shooting incident in the US:
1. In his first reaction, hours after the shooting, US president Joe Biden said he was shocked. "Jill and I are shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day. As always, we are grateful for the first responders and law enforcement on the scene. I will not give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence," he tweeted.
2. Robert Crimo was spotted by a North Chicago officer when he was trying to initiate a traffic stop, according to a CNN report. The 22-year-old fled and led officers on a brief pursuit before being stopped in Lake Forest, Illinois. .
3. Hundreds of parade-goers were soaked in the July US Independence Day celebrations at Highland Park in Illinois when the area was gripped with panic due to dozens of fired bullets at around 10:15 am (local time).
4. Those who suffered injuries were in the 8-85 age group, Brigham Temple, an emergency room doctor, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
5. The Highland Park July 4 parade shooting comes weeks after 19 school children and two teachers lost their lives when horror unfolded at a school in Uvalde, Texas. This followed a May 14 attack that killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
6. The latest incident is expected to fuel up the gun violence debate again. From schools to churches to grocery stores, shocking incidents in the US have triggered international condemnation in the recent times.
7. YouTube recently terminated an associated user account, after police named Crimo. The rap videos show a man looking like Crimo, a Reuters report said.
8. American baseball team - the White Sox - had a home game against the Minnesota Twins in Chicago; some modifications were announced in the light of the incident. "Our hearts are with the Highland Park community. The entire Chicago White Sox organization expresses our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the innocent victims of today's horrific shooting and all of those who have been affected by this tragedy," it said in a statement.
9. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker said in a statement: “There are no words for the kind of monster who lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community.”
10. Last month, a Supreme Court ruling in the country that struck down a century-old on gun restrictions had sparked huge criticism.
(With inputs from Reuters)
