Illinois town mourns after car plows into building, killing four children

Four children were killed and several others injured when a car smashed into a building during an after-school programme in Chatham, Illinois, on Monday afternoon, police said.

The crash happened around 3:20 p.m., according to Chatham Police Deputy Chief Scott Tarter. The vehicle struck three people outside, crashed through the building, hit another person inside, and exited the other side.

The victims were aged between 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said. Several others were taken to hospitals with injuries.

The driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was uninjured and transported to a hospital for evaluation. Authorities have not confirmed if the driver has been arrested.

The facility houses YNOT Outdoors, which runs after-school programmes and summer camps.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the incident “horrifying” and said his office stands ready to assist the affected families.

Chatham, home to around 15,000 residents, sits just outside Springfield.

It remains unclear what caused the crash or whether it was intentional.

The tragedy follows another fatal incident two days earlier in Vancouver, Canada, where a car drove into a festival crowd, killing 11 people.

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