Robert Crimo III Planned Highland Park Shooting For Weeks, Police Say—Here’s What We Know About The Suspected July 4 Shooter

Topline

Robert E. Crimo III—who allegedly killed six people and injured dozens in a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois—planned the attack for weeks prior and wore women’s clothing to help conceal his facial tattoos and identity, authorities said Tuesday.

Two police officers stand as an American flag flies at half-staff the day after a deadly mass … [+] shooting in Highland Park, Ill., on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Key Facts

Crimo, 21, allegedly used a high-powered rifle similar to an AR-15—which he purchased legally in the Chicago area—to fire more than 70 rounds into the crowd from a rooftop he accessed by a fire escape, before blending in with the crowd as he escaped the scene, Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Crimo was taken into custody Monday evening near Lake Forest, Illinois, more than eight hours after the shooting took place in nearby Highland Park—another Chicago suburb—and shortly after he was identified as a person of interest.

Covelli said Crimo borrowed his mother’s Honda Fit, and once police spotted the car Monday evening, officers attempted a traffic stop that led to a short pursuit that ended in Crimo’s peaceful surrender to authorities.

NBC News reports Crimo performed as a rapper under the name Awake, and depicted violent imagery of mass murders in his music videos posted on YouTube.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering told the Today show Crimo’s online posts “reflected a plan and a desire to commit carnage for a long time in advance.”

Covelli said during a press conference on Monday that Crimo “is believed to have been responsible for what happened, and the investigation will continue.”

What To Watch For

Crimo has not been charged with a crime, but Covelli said he expects to have an update on charges around 3 p.m. local time. Rotering also said in an interview with CNN she expects for charges to be filed Tuesday afternoon.

What We Don’t Know

Covelli said investigators have not yet determined a motive for the shooting, but added the attack appears to be random and there is no indication it was motivated by race or religion.

Key Background

Police said the shooter was perched on a rooftop and began firing with a high-powered rifle into a crowd gathered to watch a Fourth of July celebration in Highland Park. An hours-long manhunt began when police saw a person who could have been the shooter on a rooftop, who then ran away as officers approached. Six people were killed in the attack, including Nicolas Toledo, a 78-year-old grandfather who didn’t want to attend the parade, and Jacki Sundheim, lifelong member of the North Shore Congregation Israel. Dr. Brigham Temple, the medical director of emergency preparedness for Northshore Medical Group, said during a press conference almost 40 other people were injured, who ranged between ages 8 and 85.

Surprising Fact

Rotering told the Today show she did not think Crimo was known to police prior to the shooting, and that she knew him as a Cub Scout from when she served as a group leader. “He was just a little boy,” Rotering said. “It’s one of those things where you step back and you say, ‘What happened? How did somebody become this angry, this hateful?’”

Crucial Quote

“Whether it’s Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, or Highland Park, Illinois, this is unbelievable to me, that this is an acceptable part of who we are as a nation,” Rotering said.