WARNING: Video at the top of this story is graphic
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New video shows mass shooting at Willowbrook Juneteenth party
New video obtained by FOX 32 Chicago shows the Willowbrook mass shooting unfold over the weekend during a Juneteenth party. The incident left one man dead and nearly two dozen others injured.
DUPAGE COUNTY — New video obtained by FOX 32 Chicago shows the Willowbrook mass shooting unfold over the weekend during a Juneteenth party. The incident left one man dead and nearly two dozen others injured.
On Saturday, a few hundred people assembled at a shopping center parking lot at Route 83 and Honeysuckle Rose Lane for the third annual Juneteenth celebration. The party turned violent, with a couple of fights breaking out.
In the early hours Sunday, gunfire erupted. Reginald Meadows, a 31-year-old father of two, was killed and 22 others were wounded, according to DuPage County officials.
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New video shows Chicago area mass shooting
New video obtained by FOX 32 Chicago shows the Willowbrook mass shooting unfold over the weekend during a Juneteenth party.
Flyers had promoted the event for weeks, and a film production crew had been invited to record a local rapper’s music video.
"Before this event had taken place, [neighbors] had communicated that they did not want this event to take place given that there were instances of loitering and littering, and just damage to the local area based on the years past when this occurred," said Robert Fakhouri, an attorney representing Meadows’ family.
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Man killed in Willowbrook mass shooting identified
A 31-year-old man has been identified as the person fatally shot during a Juneteenth celebration in near suburban Willowbrook.
A lawsuit hasn’t been filed, but Fakhouri said he is looking into the possibility of filing a wrongful death case against the property owner of the shopping center. He also is seeking out people who have information about how the event was promoted and who was involved.
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Two tenants of the shopping center continued selling alcohol until shots were fired around 12:30 a.m. Sunday — well past their 11 p.m. closing times, according to Fakhouri.
"A property owner owes a duty to those that he allows and invites onto his premises," Fakhouri said. "This is not something that was spontaneous or a surprise event. This was something that was promoted and advertised for weeks in advance of the event."
The lawyer said he’s been communicating with Meadows’ family — his siblings, two children and the mother of his kids.
"They’re not well," Fakhouri said. "Reginald was there with his other family members, his nieces and nephews. They live just 200 yards away from this location; they were there to celebrate. He was only 31 years old, so this is a tragic loss."
A GoFundMe created to raise money for funeral expenses described Meadows as a "beacon of love and strength," and as a "devoted" and "loving father."
"Reggie worked tirelessly to ensure that his children had a stable and nurturing environment, striving to give them the best possible future," the GoFundMe organizer wrote. "However, his sudden departure has left [his kids] without their pillar of strength, facing an uncertain road ahead."
The emotional wounds are still lingering. FOX 32 spoke to one woman who was at the party. She says she slid under a car to save her life.
"People were screaming everywhere, people were falling to the floor," said shooting victim Mariah Dixon.
Dixon says she saw a flier all over social media promoting the third annual Juneteenth celebration. She was recording a dancing video when she captured the first two shots that were fired.
"Bullets were flying, there was no target everyone was a target," said Dixon.
The 23-year-old restaurant server spoke to FOX 32 Chicago from her hospital bed.
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Willowbrook mass shooting victim speaks out from hospital bed: 'everyone was a target'
The emotional wounds are still lingering Monday after nearly two dozen people were shot during a Juneteenth celebration over the weekend.
"While I was under the car, I felt myself get shot in my leg in the side of my knee. After I was shot, there were still 20 to 30 rounds still being fired," said Dixon.
She has already gone through surgery. Her femur bone is broken, and it will take at least five months for her to be able to walk on her own.
Dixon says she's happy to be alive, but that she knows the victim, 31-year-old Reggie Meadows — a father of two young children.
"I am genuinely sorry for the person that lost his life, they took him away from his children on Father's Day," said Dixon.
The DuPage County Sheriff's Office says this investigation is far from over. Evidence techs are collecting evidence from vehicles and videos from nearby businesses.
Bullets and shell casings are also being processed.
Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.