GURNEE, Ill. — Three people were injured in a shooting at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois Sunday night after police say suspects opened fire on the victims in a "targeted act" in the parking lot.
Gurnee Police said in a statement the incident was not an active shooting inside the park. They are seeking suspects who were seen in a white sedan.
Around 7:50 p.m., police received 911 calls about shots being fired at the theme park.
Responding officers learned that a white sedan entered the parking lot and drove towards the front entrance of the theme park. Police said several people got out and began shooting toward another person in the parking lot.
WATCH: Video showing the large police response at Six Flags
The suspects then got back in the sedan and drove off, police said.
Three people were hit by the bullets. A 17-year-old male from Aurora, Illinois suffered a upper thigh injury; a 19-year-old woman from Appleton, Wisconsin suffered a lower leg wound; and a third person suffered a shoulder injury and declined an ambulance ride to the hospital.
"The shooting this evening was not a random act, and appeared to be a targeted incident that occurred outside the park. This was not an active shooter incident inside the park. The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) is currently assisting with clearing the theme park of guests and staff," according to Gurnee police.
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
Six Flags said in a statement that "layers of preventative measures" inside and outside the park are in place to protect guests and staff. That includes security cameras, uniformed and plainclothes officers and "advanced screening technology."
Read the park's statement below:
"Six Flags dedicates our greatest amount of time, talent and resources to safety and security.
Layers of preventative measures both inside and outside the park are in place for the protection of guests and team members. We continue to review and enhance our protocol on a daily basis to ensure we are providing the highest level of safety.
Cameras placed in the parking lot and inside the park, uniformed and plain clothes patrols throughout the property, and advanced screening technology allow us to react quickly and provide important information. The park security team is joined by the Gurnee Police Department, who operates a substation at the park.
This evening, we are incredibly grateful to our team members who reacted in a professional manner to take care of our guests, and for the Gurnee Police Department for their on-going presence and commitment to Six Flags Great America."
WGN News in Chicago spoke with Laurie Walker and her daughter, Grace, who were inside the park when the shooting occurred. Walker said they were waiting in line for an attraction around 7:50 p.m. when she noticed people running.
“‘There is an active shooter, get down, get down,’” Walker said she heard someone shouting. “We didn’t know what was going on, so we get down.”
Walker and her daughter climbed two fences to get where she could call her husband. Walker told WGN she was able to leave the park a short while later.
Gurnee, Illinois is located approximately 20 miles south of Kenosha. Six Flags Great America first opened in 1976 and features 15 roller coasters across 304 acres.
