An active shooter opened fire at the Highland Park, Illinois, Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

At least six people were killed, with about two dozen more injured and taken to local hospitals, press updates revealed about the mass shooting in the northern suburb of Chicago.

At approximately 10:10am Central, parade-goers were gunned down by the rooftop gunman, with hundreds of others fleeing the scene; many people took shelter in businesses along the parade route. Law enforcement issued a shelter-in-place order in the wake of the shooting. Many neighboring communities canceled their July 4th festivities.

Law enforcement personnel indentified a person of interest as 22-year-old Robert (Bobby) E. Crimo III, who was taken into police custody before 7pm Central in nearby Lake Forest.

Highland Park is within the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese issued a tweet calling for prayer and issued a statement from Cardinal Blase Cupich that included a call for gun-safety measures.

“I have been watching the news in horror as at least 6 are dead and many more were wounded after a gunman opened fire as families attended  an Independence Day parade in Highland Park. What should have been a  peaceful celebration of our nation’s founding ended in unspeakable tragedy,” the cardinal said.

“Please join me in praying for the victims and their  loved ones, who never imagined a July 4 celebration could become a killing ground. Pray too for the safety of first responders as they pursue the person responsible for this tragedy. They bravely rushed into  the danger to treat victims and to protect others from harm. 

“The parade reportedly had a heavy presence of police and fire vehicles, yet this shooter was able to wound at least two dozen people before he stopped, or was stopped, and fled. Victims ranged in age from 8 to 85.” 

This is a developing story.