Heartbreak: 1 dead, 22 wounded in mass shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Chicago suburb

One person was killed and at least 22 others were injured in a mass shooting during a Juneteenth celebration in Illinois on Sunday morning, authorities said. 

A crowd of young people had gathered in a parking lot near Route 83 in Willowbrook, a suburban village 20 miles west of Chicago, at around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday to host a party. Police described the party as a “peaceful gathering,” however it turned violent after an unknown number of suspects fired multiple gunshots into the crowd. 

Police, who were in the area responding to a fight that had happened nearby, heard the gunshots and went to the parking lot, according to a statement by the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office. 

Witnesses said there were more than 200 teenagers and young adults at the event at the time of the incident to celebrate Juneteenth. Additionally, they said there were about 20 to 30 gunshots fired. 

At least one person was fatally shot and 22 others were wounded by the gunfire. Several other individuals were hurt while trying to escape the chaotic scene, the sheriff’s office said. The condition of the victims remains unknown. 

“We transported numerous victims from the scene. Others just walked into area hospitals,” said Eric Swanson, deputy chief at the sheriff’s office. 

The suspect or suspects are still on the loose, as authorities are trying to identify the individuals that might have been involved in the shooting. Sheriff’s spokesman Robert Carroll said authorities are interviewing “persons of interest.”

The motive for the shooting, as well as the kinds of firearms that were used, are also unclear at this moment.

The sheriff’s office is conducting an investigation into the matter, speaking to victims and witnesses, as well as reviewing footage from security cameras around the area.