A gunman opened fire on a US National Day parade, killing at least six people. He would have fired indiscriminately into the crowd from the roof of an office building. The reason is not yet clear.
Investigators in the United States are intrigued by the motive for the bloody crime that killed at least six people in a national holiday parade. A young man is suspected of indiscriminately shooting at a crowd of revelers with a “powerful rifle” from the roof of an office building. Investigators announced this on Monday (local time).
The crime was committed in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Several video clips posted on the internet showing scenes of gun violence are attributed to the suspect. He was arrested hours after the crime.
Act on Independence Day in the USA
Numerous residents gathered in downtown Highland Park, a town of 30,000, on the morning of July 4th, when US Independence Day is celebrated across the country. They wanted to celebrate together. But the first shots were fired shortly after the parade began. Eyewitnesses later reported to US media that they initially thought the noise was fireworks. “Words fail me to describe this type of monster that stalks and shoots a crowd of families with children,” state Governor Jay Robert Pritzker wrote on Twitter.
About two dozen injured were taken to hospitals, police said. A hospital doctor said he treated patients aged eight to 85 with gunshot wounds, including several children. An eyewitness named Miles Zaremski told CNN he saw several injured and lifeless people lying on the ground. “It was heartbreaking.” He heard about 30 pops. People fled the parade. “It was just chaotic.”
Visitors to the July parade had to flee. Getty Images/Jim VondrusAuthor identified by weapon
According to media reports, the suspected shooter could be identified from the gun. Investigators found traces of DNA on the gun the suspect left at the scene, US broadcaster NBC News reported.
An uncle of the arrested suspect told CNN he saw no warning signs of such violence. “I’m heartbroken. I didn’t see any indication that he would do anything like that.” He has never seen his nephew behave violently or behave in a worrying manner. “I can’t say anything bad about him.” He described the young man as a withdrawn person: “He’s a quiet kid. He’s usually alone. He’s a lonely, quiet person, he keeps everything to himself.”
videos in circulation
According to US media, the suspect would have tried to become a rapper. Several social media accounts believed to be linked to the young man have been blocked. In archived versions – apparently self-made – videos of the alleged shooter can be seen. They were published under a pseudonym. A video uploaded about a year ago shows a comic strip in which various shooting scenes can be seen. At one point, a sniper is on the ground in a pool of blood, surrounded by police officers with guns drawn.
Another video shows a man with colored hair and several tattoos, including on his face. He can be seen in a room that is supposed to represent a classroom. At the end of the video, he poses in front of a blackboard wearing a protective helmet and some sort of combat vest. He holds a US flag. Investigators posted a photo of the suspect on Twitter. Authorities initially gave him his age as 22, but an FBI bulletin later said he was 21.
Loose gun laws in the US
The US has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. In late May, an 18-year-old gunman massacred an elementary school in Texas: he killed 19 children and two teachers in the small town of Uvalde before being shot dead by police. Just over a week before an 18-year-old shot 10 people in Buffalo, New York, investigators assume a racist motive.
The killing has reignited discussion about tougher gun laws. Firearms are generally available in the United States. According to the CDC, nearly 20,000 people were shot across the country in 2020 — more than 50 a day.
“Fighting the Epidemic of Gun Violence”
US President Joe Biden said he was “shocked by the senseless gun violence that once again brought suffering to an American community on Independence Day”. His statement read: “I will not give up the fight against the epidemic of gun violence.” Biden and his Democrats have long called for tougher gun laws. However, far-reaching reforms repeatedly fail due to resistance from Republicans in Congress and the influence of the powerful NRA gun lobbying organization.
Last month, spurred on by the Texas shootings and other bloody crimes, Congress passed a bipartisan gun control law but fell far short of Biden’s proposed reforms. Experts have called the tightening of gun laws the most important since the mid-1990s. In terms of content, however, the law is just a minimal non-partisan compromise that critics call downright inadequate.
The law, signed by Biden late last month, provides for more intensive screening of gun buyers under the age of 21. In addition, it is about extending state laws to be able to remove weapons from potential threats. Illegal arms trafficking must be punished at the federal level. In addition, billions must flow into mental health and anti-violence assistance programs. Additional funds are also earmarked for school safety. The assault rifle ban demanded by Biden and his Democrats is absent from the law.
(APA/R/ANSA/dpa)