Highland Park police chief recalls hearing 'clear' sounds of gunfire during mass shooting
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – Highland Park police Chief Lou Jogmen was at the July 4th parade with his family when a gunman opened fire and killed seven people while wounding dozens.
Jogmen told CBS 2's Charlie De Mar that as soon as he started hearing the gunshots very early in the parade, he knew right away that it couldn't be anything else based on the cadence of those shots.
"I mean it was clear, unequivocal," Jogmen said. "We knew it was going to be a different day and everybody jumped into action and started following their training."
Jogmen said after leaving the scene, the suspected shooter stopped at a friend's house before going to the Madison, Wisconsin area. The suspect admitted he contemplated carrying out a similar attack at a Fourth of July parade there but decided not to and turned around.
A passerby spotted the suspected shooter's car and followed it until police could catch up.
"This person heard the information that went out about the license plate (of the vehicle the suspect was driving) and the subject," Jogmen said. "And risk notwithstanding, this person picked up the phone when they observed that car on Route 41 and called police and then followed that car for a little while, knowing very well that that person could have just killed six (or) seven people. But they were committed to their community and public safety."