Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference that the suspected shooter, who was arrested late Monday, used a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15” to spray bullets from the atop a commercial building to a crowd gathered for a parade in Highland Park, Ill., a tight-knit community on the shores of Lake Michigan that has long attracted the rich and sometimes famous. More than 30 people were injured in the attack, including one who died on Tuesday, Coveli said. Police allege the suspect then dropped the rifle and fled, blending into the crowd as if he were an “innocent bystander,” dressed as a woman to hide his facial tattoos. He walked to his mother’s house and borrowed her car, police said. Investigators who questioned the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive for the attack, police said. WATCHES | The gun was legally purchased, police say:
According to police, the suspected gunman had been planning an attack for weeks
The suspected gunman spent weeks planning a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ireland, and dressed as a woman to avoid being identified, police said Tuesday. They also found no indication that the shooter targeted anyone based on race, religion or other protected status. Authorities have not filed criminal charges. Earlier in the day, FBI agents looked in trash cans and under picnic blankets as they searched for more evidence at the scene where the gunman opened fire.
“It’s common now”
Shots at the parade were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of panicked revelers fled in terror. A day later, baby carriages, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked marchers remained inside a large police cordon. Outside the police tape, some residents drove up to collect blankets and chairs that had been abandoned. The 4th of July shooting was just the latest to destroy the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become graveyards in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation sought to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together. “It definitely hits a lot harder when it’s not just your hometown but it’s right in front of you,” said resident Ron Tuazon as he and a friend returned to the parade route Monday afternoon to pick up chairs, blankets and a children’s bike. and his family left when the shooting started. “It’s common now,” said Touazon. “We’re not blinking anymore. Until the laws change, it’s going to be more of the same.” A couple retrieves two car seats Tuesday after they were left near the scene of a shooting in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) An officer pulled over Robert E. Crimo III about five miles north of the shooting scene several hours after police released his photo and warned he was possibly armed and dangerous, Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said. Authorities initially said Crimo, whose father was once a Highland Park mayoral candidate, was 22, but an FBI affidavit and Crimo’s social media listed him as 21. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast until Saturday as a “mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence committed on our Independence Day”.
Some victims have been identified
The shooting occurred at a point along the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing spots early in the day for the annual celebration. Among them was Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting family in Illinois from Mexico. He was shot and died at the scene, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Also killed was Jacki Sundheim, a lifelong colleague and “beloved” staff member at nearby North Shore Congregation Israel, which announced her death on its website. Police have not released details about the victims. Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said the five people killed in the parade were adults, but she did not have information on the sixth. Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director of North American affairs, said on Twitter that two Mexicans were also injured. Dozens of bullets sent hundreds of marchers fleeing — some visibly covered in blood. They left a trail of abandoned objects that showed everyday life suddenly, violently disrupted: a box of chocolate chip cookies spilled on the grass; a Chicago Cubs kids cap. baby carriages, some with American flags. “There’s no safe place,” said Highland Park resident Barbara Harte, 73, who had stayed away from the parade for fear of a mass shooting but later ventured out of her home.
Dozens injured
NorthShore University Health Center admitted 26 patients after the attack. All but one had gunshot wounds, said Dr. Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness. Their ages ranged from eight to 85, and Temple estimated four or five were children. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 15 shootings where four or more people have been killed, including in Highland Park, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. Highland Park Police Chief Chris O’Neill said the gunman apparently fired from a rooftop where it was “very hard to see him.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene. Police also found a ladder attached to the building. Covelli said Crimo legally purchased the gun in Illinois last year. Officials said a second rifle was found in the car when the suspect was arrested. Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper under the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting dozens of videos and songs on social media, some ominous and violent. In an animated video captured by YouTube, Crimo raps about armies “walking in the dark” as a drawing of a man pointing a rifle, a body on the ground, and another figure with hands up in the distance appears.
