The man accused of killing seven people at an Independence Day parade has confessed to police that he fired a hail of bullets from a suburban Chicago rooftop and then fled to Madison, Wis., where he planned to shoot up an event there . he said on Wednesday. The suspect returned to Illinois, where he was later arrested after deciding he was not willing to carry out another attack in Wisconsin, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference after a hearing where the 21-year-old denied the charge. bond. The parade shooting left another American community reeling — this time affluent Highland Park, home to about 30,000 people near the shores of Lake Michigan. More than a dozen people were injured, some seriously, and hundreds of protesters, parents and children fled in panic. Covelli said it did not appear the suspect had planned another attack in Wisconsin, but he escaped there, saw another Independence Day celebration and “seriously considered” shooting him. The gunman had lost the semi-automatic rifle he used in Illinois, but had another, similar rifle and about 60 more rounds of ammunition with him, Covelli said. Police later found his phone in Middleton, Wis., which is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) from Highland Park. For hours before his arrest, police warned that the gunman was still at large and should be considered armed and dangerous. Several nearby towns canceled events, including parades and fireworks. Most festivities in and around Wisconsin’s capital continued. Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes said at a news conference Wednesday that the FBI urged the department Monday night to prepare the SWAT team because investigators believed the gunman could be in the area. Barnes said he was not warned at the time that the attacker planned to carry out further attacks. Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Dillon told the court that the gunman climbed into the firehouse of a building above the Highland Park parade, “looked up, took aim” and shot people across the street. He left the shells of 83 bullets and three magazines of ammunition on the roof. He initially evaded capture by disguising himself as a woman and blended into the fleeing crowd, police said. Some of the injured remained in hospital in critical condition, Coveli said, and the death toll could rise. Already, the shooting deaths have left a 2-year-old boy without parents, families grieving the loss of beloved grandparents and a synagogue grieving the death of a colleague who was also on staff for decades. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said he planned to file attempted murder and aggravated battery charges for each person who was injured. “There will be many, many more charges,” he told a news conference, estimating those charges would be announced later this month. If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, the gunman faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The suspect, Robert Crimo III, wore a black long-sleeved shirt as he appeared in court via video. As the prosecutor described the shooting, he said little except to tell the judge he didn’t have a lawyer. On Tuesday, Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based attorney, said he would represent Crimo and that he intended to plead not guilty to all charges. But Durkin told the court Wednesday he had a conflict of interest with the case. Crimo has been appointed a public defender. Reinhart also left open the possibility that Crimo’s parents could be charged, telling reporters he “doesn’t want to answer” that question at this time as the investigation continues. Steve Greenberg, the attorney for Crimo’s parents, told The Associated Press that the parents are not concerned about being charged with anything related to their son’s case. Questions also arose about how the suspect could circumvent Illinois’ relatively strict gun laws to legally purchase five guns, including the high-powered weapon used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide. Police went to the home after a call from a family member who said Crimo was threatening to “kill everyone” there. Covelli said police seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no indication he had weapons at the time in September 2019. Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by Crimo , Covelli said. Illinois State Police, which issues gun licenses, said Crimo applied for a license in December 2019, when he was 19. His father supported his application and purchased the semi-automatic rifles in 2020, according to Covelli. In all, police said, he bought five firearms, which were found by officers at his father’s home. He bought four of the guns while under 21 and bought a fifth after his birthday last year. The revelations about his gun purchases offered just the latest example of young men who have been able to acquire weapons and carry out massacres in recent months despite glaring warning signs about their mental health and propensity for violence. State police defended their handling of the application, saying at the time there was “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” and denied the application, state police said in a statement. Investigators who questioned the suspect and reviewed his social media posts did not determine a motive or find any indication that he targeted victims based on race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said. In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association were quick to question the suburban liberal’s stance. The legal battle ended up on the doorstep of the US Supreme Court in 2015, when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburb’s restrictions remain in place. Asked if Crimo’s case demonstrates flaws in state law, Rinehart said “the loophole in the state’s gun laws would be that we don’t ban assault weapons.” Under Illinois law, gun purchases can be denied to people with felony convictions, drug addictions, or people deemed capable of harming themselves or others. This latter provision might have prevented a suicidal Crimo from obtaining a gun. However, according to the law, who this provision applies to must be decided by a “court, board, commission or other legal authority”. The state has a so-called red flag law designed to stop dangerous people before they kill, but requires family members, relatives, roommates or police to ask a judge to order guns confiscated. 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. —— Foody reported from Chicago, Babwin from Waukegan, Ill. Associated Press writers Mike Householder in Highland Park, Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, SD, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York also contributed.
