1 dead, at least 22 injured in Juneteenth mass shooting in Illinois

One person was fatally shot and at least 22 others were injured in the shots that erupted during a June 19th celebration in Illinois early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The mass shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. in Willowbrook, a suburban town about 20 miles west of Chicago, where a large crowd of young people had gathered for a party in a parking lot near Route 83, a major highway. state. Police patrolling the area were called at the time to respond to another report alleging a fight had occurred nearby. They returned to the meeting after hearing gunshots, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

According to the sheriff, an unknown number of suspects fired multiple rounds from multiple weapons into the crowd. The previous Sunday, witnesses told CBS Chicago that they recalled hearing 20 to 30 shots during the event, which was attended by more than 200 teens and young adults. Witnesses and police said the June 16 celebration was peaceful until the shooting began.

“I have children to come home to. I’m not used to this,” a woman who witnessed the shooting told CBS Chicago. “I didn’t expect it, but you never know. Anything can happen anywhere.”

Another witness recalled hearing numerous shots.

“Anything could have happened. There were a lot of people outside, we were all having a good time, but, you know,” he told the news station.

In addition to the attendees who were shot, several other victims were injured while trying to flee the scene of the shooting, the sheriff’s office said. The victims are being treated in different hospitals in the area. His conditions were unknown at the time of the sheriff’s news release.

Authorities have not identified a suspect or possible motive for the shooting, and details about the people who were injured in the attack have not been made public. An investigation is underway at the sheriff’s office, with detectives interviewing victims and witnesses, and reviewing footage from area cameras and witness cellphones. The area and businesses surrounding the shooting site will remain closed until further notice, the office said.