WILLOWBROOK, Ill. (WGN) – One person is dead and at least 20 were injured in a shooting at an Illinois Juneteenth celebration early Sunday morning, police have confirmed.
Deputies with the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office were in the Willowbrook area, roughly 20 miles west of Chicago, when they reported hearing gunshots ring out shortly before 12:30 a.m.
They responded to a parking lot outside of a strip mall, where they found multiple people had been struck by gunfire.
The DuPage County Sheriff confirmed that at least 20 people were injured. One person has died from their injuries, authorities said.
At least 10 people were transported to hospitals while many others self-transported. Fire officials said two victims are in critical condition.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic to Nexstar’s WGN, saying people began running as gunfire erupted.
“It was supposed to be a Juneteenth celebration,” Markeshia Avery, a witness to the shooting, told WGN. She explained they were getting ready to leave when gunshots rang out.
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, and authorities would not go into detail on the circumstances leading up to the shooting or how many shooters they believe were involved. They are continuing to investigate.
