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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Merrifield

Chicago shooting: Grandad killed in 4th of July massacre with victims aged from 8 to 85

A beloved grandfather has been named as one of the victims of today's Fourth of July massacre.

A gunman - who remains at large - has killed at least six people and left 24 more in hospital after open firing at a parade to mark Independence Day in Highland Park in Illinois, US.

Those dead are aged from eight to 85.

The family of Nicolas Toledo said he was one those who died in the horror incident in the Chicago suburb.

His granddaughter told CBS Chicago reporter Tim Nicholas: “We are all feeling pretty numb. We’re all pretty broken inside."

She has also shared photos of her loved one.

The FBI has launched a manhunt for the shooter, with the suspect named as Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III.

Have you been affected by this incident? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

Seats used by parade watchers are left abandoned at the scene after the mass shooting (Getty Images)

He is driving a silver Honda and is considered armed and dangerous.

Mayor Nancy Rotering said at a news conference: "Our community was terrorised by an act of violence that has shaken us to our core.

"On a day when we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life."

Law enforcement officers investigate the scene (TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

It comes as witnesses have spoken of their horror at seeing children 'shot in the head'.

Zoe, a parade-goer at the scene, told CNN : "'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."

She added: "One man had been shot in the head, his ear, he was bleeding all over, and he was, like, I’m just happy that’s all happened."

Police are still on the hunt for the suspect (Getty Images)

The annual procession was stopped just minutes after it started at 10am local time on Monday, with hundreds of attendees running for safety.

Parade-goers left behind chairs, prams, bicycles and blankets as they fled the event route on Central Street in the city's downtown area.

Lake County Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the gunman opened fire from a rooftop.

An aerial view of the scene (via REUTERS)

A rifle was recovered at the scene, but the suspect should still be considered armed and dangerous, he said.

"We're asking everybody to stay indoors. Stay vigilant right now," the deputy chief added.

A video, posted to TikTok, shows people sitting on a grass bank watching a brass band adorned in American flags marching past before people repeat "gunshots" over and over.

A woman is heard shouting "Oh my God!" as the marchers quicken into a jog and spectators begin to clamber to their feet.

The cameraperson, who appears to be a young boy, says in a panicked voice: "Oh my God, it's gun shots! I can't believe I actually recorded that!"

Mayor Rotering confirmed at around 11am local time that the parade - called Fourth Fest - was officially cancelled.

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