NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

July 4 parade shooting: Six dead and 24 injured in Chicago

By Michael Tarm, Roger Schneider & Kathleen Foody
AP·
4 Jul, 2022 08:29 PM7 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Law enforcement search as they walk into a building after the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, Illinois. Photo / AP

Law enforcement search as they walk into a building after the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, Illinois. Photo / AP

Police are looking for a gunman who reportedly shot dead six people who were attending a July 4 Independence Day celebration in Highland Park, Chicago today (NZT).

At least 24 people were also injured after the killer attacked victims sniper-style from a rooftop above the Parade in the suburb of Highland Park.

The hunt is on for a white man, approximately 18 to 20 years old, with longer black hair wearing a white or blue T-shirt.

Witnesses told the Chicago Sun Times they saw at least three bloodied bodies covered in blankets on the ground and five others injured nearby.

We. Don’t. Have. To.
Live. Like. This.

RIP #HighlandPark victims.
📸: @briancassella pic.twitter.com/Cjm9g42hh0

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 4, 2022
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Highland Park Police Commander Chris O'Neill, the incident commander at the scene, urged people to shelter in place as authorities searched for the suspect.

The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.

Police are responding to a shooting at a #FourthofJuly parade Monday in a wealthy suburb outside Chicago, #Illinois the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said. #HighlandPark #Chicago #godblessamerica #shooting
#independenceday #4thofjuly #guncontrol #Copenhagen pic.twitter.com/pi8dwgMCzU

— Breaking News Worldwide (@FelizKarenP1) July 4, 2022

Mayor Nancy Rotering said the violence "has shaken us to our core," adding, "On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us."

The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration. But dozens of fired bullets sent hundreds of parade-goers — some visibly bloodied — fleeing. They left a trail of abandoned items that showed everyday life suddenly, violently disrupted: A half-eaten bag of potato chips; a box of chocolate cookies spilled onto the grass; a child's Chicago Cubs cap.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

BREAKING UPDATE! Highland Park, Illinois: WGN TV reports at least 4 dead, several injured following a shooting at a July Fourth parade in a Chicago suburb this morning. pic.twitter.com/3saIB0MY5A

— Denn Dunham (@DennD68) July 4, 2022

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said "several of the deceased victims" died at the scene and one was taken to a hospital and died there. Police have not released details about the victims or wounded.

Authorities said the shooter opened fire around 10:15 a.m., when the parade was about three-quarters through.

Covelli said at a news conference that the gunman apparently used a "high-powered rifle" to fire from a spot atop a building where he was "very difficult to see." He said the rifle was recovered at the scene.

"Very random, very intentional and a very sad day," Covelli said.

Discover more

World

'Pure terror': Images show gunman prowling Copenhagen mall during mass shooting

04 Jul 08:10 AM
World

A metre of rain sets up fourth round of flood misery for Sydney

04 Jul 08:03 AM
World

'Set up': Witness's bombshell Dawson claim

04 Jul 06:17 AM
World

In Northern Ireland, old passions are smouldering anew

04 Jul 06:00 AM
Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office speaks to the media after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. Photo/ Getty
Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office speaks to the media after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. Photo/ Getty

President Joe Biden last month signed the widest-ranging gun violence bill passed by Congress in decades, a compromise that showed at once both progress on a long-intractable issue and the deep-seated partisan divide that persists.

Biden on Monday said he and first lady Jill Biden were "shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day." He said he had "surged Federal law enforcement to assist in the urgent search for the shooter, who remains at large at this time."

Police believe there was only one shooter but warned that he should still be considered armed and dangerous. Several nearby cities canceled events including parades and fireworks, some of them noting that the Highland Park shooter was still at large. Evanston, Deerfield, Skokie, Waukegan and Glencoe canceled events.

Law enforcement search as they walk into a building after the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, Illinois. Photo / AP
Law enforcement search as they walk into a building after the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, Illinois. Photo / AP

"You have a tragic mass act of violence that was random here today at a community event where people were gathered to celebrate, and the offender has not been apprehended thus far," Covelli, the crime task force spokesman, said. "So, could this happen again? We don't know what his intentions are at this point, so certainly we're not sure of that."

More than 100 law enforcement officers were called to the parade scene or dispatched to find the suspected shooter.

Terrified parade-goers after shots were fired, leaving behind their belongings as they sought safety. Photo / Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Terrified parade-goers after shots were fired, leaving behind their belongings as they sought safety. Photo / Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Hours after the shooting, law enforcement officers searched an office building near where the shooting occurred. Nearby, armed FBI agents in camouflage escorted a family with two small girls across Central Street hours after the shooting. The children looked visibly frightened even as their mother attempted to reassure them that the agents leading and flanking them would protect them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Armed FBI agents in camouflage escorted a family with two small girls across Central Street hours after the shooting. The children looked visibly frightened even as their mother attempted to reassure them that the agents leading and flanking them would protect them.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," she told them. "These guys will protect you."

Ominous signs of a joyous event suddenly turned to horror filled both sides of Central Street where the shooting occurred. Dozens of baby strollers, some bearing American flags, abandoned children's bikes, a helmet bedecked with images of Cinderella were left behind in their haste. Blankets, lawn chairs, coffees and water bottles were knocked over as people fled.

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."

#Chicago: Schüsse auf Parade, mehrere Totehttps://t.co/g3Zsx9HcW4
Über @updayDE gesendet
My video.. I was at #HighlandPark parade.. Terrified people fleeing July 4th parade when shooting started. pic.twitter.com/D1n4PpSioh

— Stefan K. (@Nighttiger1) July 4, 2022

Gina Troiani and her son were lined up with his daycare class ready to walk onto the parade route when she heard a loud sound that she believed was fireworks — until she heard people yell about a shooter.

"We just start running in the opposite direction," she told The Associated Press.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Her 5-year-old son was riding his bike decorated with red and blue curled ribbons. He and other children in the group held small American flags. The city said on its website that the festivities were to include a children's bike and pet parade.

Troiani said she pushed her son's bike, running through the neighborhood to get back to their car.

In a video that Troiani shot on her phone, some of the kids are visibly startled at the loud noise and they scramble to the side of the road as a siren wails nearby.

Law enforcement search downtown Highland Park following a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade, which has left six people dead. Photo / AP
Law enforcement search downtown Highland Park following a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade, which has left six people dead. Photo / AP

It was just sort of chaos," she said. "There were people that got separated from their families, looking for them. Others just dropped their wagons, grabbed their kids and started running."

Debbie Glickman, a Highland Park resident, said she was on a parade float with coworkers and the group was preparing to turn onto the main route when she saw people running from the area.

"People started saying: 'There's a shooter, there's a shooter, there's a shooter,'" Glickman told the Associated Press. "So we just ran. We just ran. It's like mass chaos down there."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She didn't hear any noises or see anyone who appeared to be injured.

"I'm so freaked out," she said. "It's just so sad."

- AP

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Inside Laos' notorious economic zone: A hub for scams and crime

World

New York debates Mamdani’s plan for city-run grocery stores

World

'Grateful': Rescued German backpacker details Australian bush ordeal, miraculous survival


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Inside Laos' notorious economic zone: A hub for scams and crime
World

Inside Laos' notorious economic zone: A hub for scams and crime

A lotus tops a casino in a city analysts say is a cybercrime centre.

14 Jul 05:00 PM
New York debates Mamdani’s plan for city-run grocery stores
World

New York debates Mamdani’s plan for city-run grocery stores

14 Jul 05:00 PM
'Grateful': Rescued German backpacker details Australian bush ordeal, miraculous survival
World

'Grateful': Rescued German backpacker details Australian bush ordeal, miraculous survival

14 Jul 08:44 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP