Following a shooting at a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois, which left at least six people dead and 19 injured, police and the FBI were looking for a 22-year-old suspect as of late Monday.
According to the Wall Street Journal and other media sites, police have named the suspect as Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, who they believe is operating a silver Honda Fit.
Authorities think the attacker used a high-powered rifle to start shooting from a rooftop near the parade route. At 10:14 a.m. local time, shots were fired, causing a mad dash for safety.
Photos from the scene showed children’s bicycles left on the sidewalk and overturned patio chairs.
An upscale suburb along Lake Michigan, Highland Park is located about 20 miles north of Chicago.
Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich issued a statement in which he expressed his prayers for the victims and first responders. He also forcefully denounced the evil of gun violence.
According to reports, there were many police and fire trucks at the march, but the shooter managed to injure at least 20 people before stopping or being stopped and running away.
Ages of the victims ranged from 8 to 85. Weapons made to quickly disintegrate human bodies have no place in modern society, according to Cupich.
The United States is now suffering more than one mass shooting per day this year as of only the beginning of July.
Since Friday, at least 55 people have been shot and 7 have died, according to Chicago Police, and the long weekend is still going on.
The statement added, “Gun violence is now the greatest cause of mortality for American children.
There is plenty of room for prudential judgment in interpreting the Second Amendment so as to establish substantial, widely supported gun safety measures, regardless of how one feels about the right to bear weapons.
Last month, the Senate finally approved a substantial but modest gun safety package. But obviously more work needs to be done,” Cupich remarked.
“The right to keep and bear arms does not supersede the right to life, or the right of all Americans to live their lives without living in constant fear of being shot at by stray bullets. Gun violence is a serious problem.
We must continue to pray for all of our elected and unelected officials to step up their efforts to protect the people they have vowed to serve.