Twenty-three people were shot Sunday in a Chicago parking lot during a celebration for Juneteenth, leaving 22 victims injured and one dead, according to The Associated Press.
The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office reported that the violent event occurred in a strip mall in Willowbrook as residents gathered to celebrate Juneteenth peacefully when suddenly several people started to shoot at the crowd, according to the AP.
“We know of 22 victims injured and one victim killed by gunfire. Several other victims were also injured while attempting to flee the area,” the sheriff’s office said. (RELATED: Violence Breaks Out At Various Juneteenth Celebrations Across The Country)
A sheriff’s office spokesman, Robert Carroll, stated that officers were still interviewing “persons of interest” at the shootings.
One person was fatally shot and at least 22 others were injured in gunfire that broke out during a Juneteenth celebration in Illinois early on Sunday morning, authorities said. https://t.co/bcmLeneuHu
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 18, 2023
A sheriff’s officer explained that officers were already at the strip mall to check on the crowd but had to leave due to a nearby fight. Once they heard gunshots, they returned to the scene.
“We transported numerous victims from the scene. Others just walked into area hospitals,” said Deputy Chief Eric Swanson.
Markeshia Avery, a witness who went to the gathering to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas.
“We just started hearing shooting, so we dropped down until they stopped,” Avery explained.
“I am closely monitoring the violent shootings that took place in Willowbrook last night,” Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote on Twitter. “Gathering for a holiday gathering should be a joyful occasion, not a time where gunfire erupts and families are forced to run for safety.”
The Willowbrook shooting was one of several shootings during the weekend.