Investigators are searching for an unknown number of suspects after a mass shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in Willowbrook, Illinois, Sunday that killed one person and injured at least 22 others on what was meant to be a joyous occasion.
The gunfire broke out after midnight as a large crowd of Juneteenth revelers were gathered in parking lot as an "unknown number of suspects fired multiple rounds from multiple weapons into the crowd," the DuPage County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
As chaos spread, multiple people were also injured while trying to flee the area, authorities said.
At least 12 ambulances converged on the scene, rushing several people to hospitals with injuries ranging from graze wounds to more serious gunshot wounds, Joe Ostrander, battalion chief of the Tri-State Fire Protection District said early Sunday. The person killed hasn't been identified and authorities have not released information on the ages and conditions of the others wounded.
No suspects are in custody and information "is very fluid" as investigators interview the victims and review cell phone and surveillance video, the sheriff's office said Sunday afternoon. Authorities have not released suspect descriptions and it's unclear how many people opened fire.
The Juneteenth event is the latest celebration in the US to be interrupted by gunfire -- after mass shootings at a graduation ceremony in Virginia, an NBA championship celebration in Colorado and a birthday party in California, all in the last month.
The overnight violence in Willowbrook marks one of 310 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
The sobering number means there's been more mass shootings than days so far in 2023.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he's closely monitoring the shooting.
"Gathering for a holiday celebration should be a joyful occasion, not a time where gunfire erupts and families are forced to run for safety," Pritzker said in a Sunday statement. "As I've said time and time again, gun violence is a public health emergency in this country and I remain committed to banning these dangerous weapons and making our state safer for everyone."
The shooting in Willowbrook happened less than 40 miles away from the tragic 2022 mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park -- an attack that led Pritzker to sign a ban on assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines in the state.
'We dropped down until they stopped'
The peaceful Juneteenth celebration began around 6 p.m. in the area of Hinsdale Lake Terrace at Honeysuckle Lane, and police were already in the area, the sheriff's department said.
But at around 12:25 a.m., police were called away "due to a 911 call alleging a fight had broken out nearby," the DuPage County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
"As deputies responded, they heard gunshots and immediately returned to the scene of the gathering," the Sheriff's Office added.
It's unclear what led up to the gunfire, where the shooters were when deputies responded, and whether the suspects knew any of the victims.
"The motive behind this incident is unclear and this is still an active investigation," DuPage County Deputy Sheriff Eric Swanson told reporters Sunday.
Witnesses who were at the scene of the shooting describe terror unfolding at the celebration as gunshots rang out.
Markeshia Avery, who was there at the time of the shooting, said she dropped to the ground.
"We dropped down until they stopped. They just kept going," Avery told reporters at the scene. "After that, we literally scattered away and just started trying to check on everybody that we knew."
A nurse who was nearby told CNN affiliate WLS she ran to help the victims after the shooting.
"They were shot in their thighs, shoulder," said Dalayvia Whitaker. ""I'm like, 'OK, hold this, press this, give me a sock, let me make a tourniquet from it."
Another woman, who didn't want to be identified, told WLS she was there when the gunfire erupted.
"Everybody started running. There was a man. He fell on top of me. He had a gunshot wound to his leg. It was like something you won't imagine," she said.
Some of the injured were transported to hospitals by ambulance and others walked in, Swanson told reporters Sunday.
The White House has been in contact with state and local leaders following the deadly shooting, according to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
"The President and First Lady are thinking of those killed and injured in the shooting in Illinois last night. We have reached out to offer assistance to state and local leaders in the wake of this tragedy at a community Juneteenth celebration," she wrote on Twitter.