Four people aged 4 to 18 were killed on Monday afternoon when a vehicle hit a school camp program in Chatham, Illinois, state police announced.
The authorities did not indicate if they thought that the accident was intentional.
The victims are three people who were outside the building and who were inside, the state police said in a statement.
Several others were injured, officials said, including a person who was taken to hospital by helicopter.
A vehicle went to the east side of a building used by the Ynot After School Camp around 3:20 p.m., the state police announced. He struck several people inside and left the west wall of the building, said the agency.
The driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, was hospitalized.
State police said the accident was investigated.
Chatham police called the dead as “terrible tragedy”.
“If you believe in the power of prayer, please take a moment to pray now for the whole community of Chatham,” they said in a statement.
Governor JB Pritzker said that he was monitoring the situation.
“Let’s ride our arms around the community this evening while we receive updates to the situation,” he said.
The village of Chatham, about 12 miles south of Springfield, has more than 14,000 inhabitants. Springfield’s NBC Wand affiliate reported that the building in front of a water tower and a city park is rented or held by the camp.
A camp representative did not immediately respond to a request for information. He indicates on his website that a Springfield couple launched it in 2002 to help active children and stimulate their minds in summer.
It is a story in development. Please check the updates.
Karen Cortes,, Gemma Dicasimirro And Insiya Gandhi contributed.
