One person was fatally shot and at least 22 others were injured in gunfire that erupted at a party on June 16 in Illinois early Sunday morning, authorities said.
The mass shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. in Willowbrook, a suburban village 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 national highway. Police patrolling the area were called around this time to respond to another report alleging a fight had occurred nearby. They returned to the rally after hearing gunshots, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
An unknown number of suspects fired multiple bullets from multiple weapons into the crowd, according to the sheriff. Earlier Sunday, witnesses told CBS Chicago they recalled hearing between 20 and 30 shots fired at the event, which was attended by more than 200 teenagers and young adults. Witnesses and law enforcement said the June 19 celebration was peaceful until the shooting began.
“I have kids to go home with. I’m not used to that,” 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 gunshots.
“Anything could have happened. There were a lot of people, we were all having a good time but, you know,” he told the news channel.
In addition to the participants who were shot, several other victims were injured as they tried to flee the scene of the shooting, the sheriff’s office said. The victims are treated in various hospitals in the region. Their terms were unknown at the time of the sheriff’s press release.
Authorities have not identified a suspect or possible motive for the shooting, and details of who was 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 camera footage from the area and cellphones of witnesses. The area and businesses surrounding the shooting site will be closed until further notice, the office said.
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