He didn’t even want to watch the US National Day parade in Chicago: After an accident, Nicolas Toledo was using a walker and worried about the crowds. But the family didn’t want to leave him alone at home. Now the 76-year-old is dead – shot by the killer. “We saw blood and everything splashed on us,” said the dead man’s granddaughter, describing the dramatic seconds.
Toldeo and at least five others died when a gunman fired into the roof of a building during the parade in the town of Highland Park, 35 kilometers north of the US city of Chicago.
‘We thought the shots were part of the parade’
Toledo was sitting on the sidelines of the parade surrounded by his family when the shots were fired. “We thought the shots were part of the parade,” Toledo’s granddaughter was quoted as saying by the New York Times. Then the family noticed that their grandfather had been hit. The grandfather’s son and his granddaughter’s friend suffered gunshot wounds, but are out of danger.
Researchers in the United States are currently puzzling over the motive. A young man is suspected of shooting indiscriminately at the elated crowd with a “powerful rifle” from the roof of a commercial building. The detectives announced this on Monday (local time). Several music videos posted online depicting scenes of gun violence are attributed to the suspect, who was arrested hours after the crime.
Totenschütze wanted to make a career as a rapper
According to American media, the suspect would have tried to make a name for himself as a rapper. Several social media accounts believed to be linked to the young man have since been blocked. In archived versions – apparently homemade – videos of the alleged shooter can be seen. They were published under a pseudonym. A video uploaded about a year ago shows a comic strip showing various scenes from shooting. At one point, a gunman lies on the ground in a pool of blood, surrounded by police officers with guns drawn.
“I am lost for words”
Numerous residents gathered in the center of Highland Park, a city of 30,000, on the morning of July 4, when Independence Day is celebrated nationwide in the US. They wanted to celebrate together. But shortly after the parade started, the first shots were fired. Eyewitnesses later reported in American media that they initially thought the sound was fireworks. “Words fail to describe this kind of monster lurking and shooting at a crowd of families with children,” Governor Jay Robert Pritzker wrote on Twitter.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
