SAN ANTONIO — Hours after a gunman killed at least six people and injured 30 others at a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, local authorities said they had taken a 22-year-old person of interest into custody.
At first the crowd thought the noise of the gunfire was associated with the parade, before they ran from the scene, leaving their belongings behind. At the same time, Richard Baron and Raymond Goode rushed toward the chaos.
"As we were sprinting, it was kind of surreal as people were moving quickly away from the situation," Baron said.
People began barricading themselves in nearby shops, the duo said. They were in town preparing to perform in the holiday celebration, toward the end of the parade. Baron is a martial arts teacher, owner of Temple of Kung Fu school in Highland Park.
Goode is one of his students, and was recently in San Antonio during DreamWeek festivities. When panic broke out at the parade, he and his instructor responded the only way they knew how.
"When you see your fellow brethren that needs help and assistance, you help them," said Goode, who also traveled to Uvalde earlier this summer to help the community there heal. "You look around, you survey the scene, you touch them and you make sure they are OK. You comfort them and put your hands on them."
They jumped into the fray, helping up to five paradegoers who had been hurt.
"We came across a guy who had been shot in the side of the head, and shot in his back," Baron said. "We immediately started providing care, flagged down a cop. We got a bandage on him, and (got) him in the car to get to the hospital."
In the aftermath of yet another U.S. mass shooting, this one coming amid community celebration, the pair say they don't consider themselves heroes.
"This type of thing is just let people (allow) fear in your heart," Baron said. "Don't let them, because that's how they win."
Robert Crimo III was detained as authorities continue to investigate Monday's shooting.