One of the victims of the Chicago mass shooting has been identified as a beloved grandfather who looked forward to celebrating Independence Day.
During the Fourth of July parade in the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park, a young man opened fire at the crowd from the roof of a local store.
Five victims were pronounced dead on the scene, whereas the sixth died in the hospital. An additional 24 people were rushed to the hospital for treatment, some of them in critical condition.
Among the victims was Nicolas Toledo who has since been identified by his heartbroken family.
“The family of Nicolas Toledo tells me he was one of the people shot and killed at the Highland Park 4th of July Parade,” Tim McNicholas of CBS Chicago revealed.
As the reporter added, the man’s granddaughter said: “We are all feeling pretty numb. We’re all pretty broken inside.”
The first victim of the mass shooting has been identified as the manhunt for the gunman continues.
The authorities have since identified the prime person of interest as 22-year-old rapper and Highland Park resident Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo III.
It is believed the shooter opened fire on the crowd just 15 minutes into the parade before making a getaway in his 2010 silver Honda Fit with the plates dm80653.
The police also revealed they recovered the rifle used to commit the murders and are working to trace it to its owner.
While law enforcement is working to apprehend the gunman, chilling videos and reports from Highland Park have emerged.
“All of a sudden everyone behind us started running. I looked back, probably 20 feet away from me, I saw a girl shot and killed. I saw her die. I’ve never seen anything like this,” one witness recalled in an interview with CNN.
“Everyone thought it was fireworks. My dad thought it was part of the show, and I’m like, ‘Dad, no… something is wrong.’ And I grabbed him. And I looked back at him, and then it was just a sea of panic, and people just falling and falling.”
The investigation remains ongoing and the gunman is still at large.
Our thoughts remain with the victims of the shooting and their families.
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