UPDATE 8AM
GURNEE, Ill. (AP) — Three people were injured in a shooting in a parking lot of an amusement park north of Chicago that sent visitors scrambling for safety, authorities said.
Officers responded about 7:50 p.m. Sunday after 911 calls reporting shots fired at Six Flags Great America, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Chicago, the Gurnee Police Department said.
“The shooting … was not a random act, and appeared to be a targeted incident that occurred outside the park,” police said in a statement posted to Facebook.
According to an initial investigation, police said a white sedan entered the parking lot and drove toward the park’s front entrance. People got out of the car and shot at another person in the parking lot before driving away, police said.
Additional detail about the suspects, including the number of people who fired shots, wasn’t immediately released. Police were investigating.
A 17-year-old boy from Aurora, Illinois, had a thigh wound and a 19-year-old woman from Appleton, Wisconsin, had a leg wound, police said. They were taken to a hospital and their wounds were described as non-life-threatening. A third victim had a shoulder injury and declined to be taken to a hospital.
In a statement, Six Flags Great America said park security responded immediately along with Gurnee officers.
ORIGINAL POST 9:00PM
Our partners with TMJ4 are on scene in the parking lot of the Six Flags Great America in Gurney, Illinois after a report of a shooting.
TMJ4’s Bruce Harrison confirms via a Six Flags spokesperson that 3 people were hurt when shots were fired from a car in the parking lot Sunday night. The vehicle where those shots came from then took off. Gurnee Police closed the park and people were escorted out of the park. The investigation is ongoing.
TMJ4s Bruch Harrison is also reporting that 2 people were transported to a local hospital for evaluation; however, a third person declined treatment. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department says they no longer believe this is an active shooter situation.
Six Flags released a statement:
A lot of squad cars out at Great America tonight. Police investigating a shooting in the parking lot. Six Flags confirms three people injured. Two taken to hospital for evaluation, a third declined treatment, says Six Flags. pic.twitter.com/IrXTsQqlcU
— Bruce Harrison (@HarrisonMKE) August 15, 2022
Social media shows several police vehicles, ambulances, and fire apparatus at the park.
A lot of squad cars out at Great America tonight. Police investigating a shooting in the parking lot. Six Flags confirms three people injured. Two taken to hospital for evaluation, a third declined treatment, says Six Flags. pic.twitter.com/IrXTsQqlcU
— Bruce Harrison (@HarrisonMKE) August 15, 2022
Again, and investigation is ongoing, and this is a developing story. Check back here for more updates as they become avaliable.