HIGHLAND PARK (Ill.) — Tuesday saw the first portrait of Robert E. Crimo III, a mysterious, music-obsessed loner, emerge. This was just a day after Crimo III was arrested following a mass shooting at Chicago’s July Fourth parade, which left seven people dead and traumatized a suburb of Chicago.
Crimo was 21 years old and dressed in women’s clothes during the deadly rampage. His music became darker and more delusional with age, as his relationships with his parents and girlfriend deteriorated, former friends claim.
Nick Pacileo, 22, said that he was “in his own world”.
Another former Highland Park High School classmate said, “There were many red flags,” but he did not want to be identified.
Pacileo stated that he and Crimo became friends through skateboarding, and they were close from eighth to 10th grades. Crimo was described by Pacileo using words such as “timid”, “quiet”, and “quiet”. Crimo said that the roof-sniper suspect never spoke about guns and would “zone in a lot”.
Pacileo stated that Crimo’s personality changed when he turned 18 just as he was breaking up with his girlfriend.
Pacileo stated that Bobby was depressed. “He also went off to the deep end after he split with his girlfriend several years ago.”
Crimo was obsessed by her, he claimed, so he tried drugs instead of therapy.
He said that he believed there was a mental border that had to be crossed. “Very third-eye stuff that kinda goes along with the drugs and psychedelic Rap.”
Pacileo stated that Crimo had a difficult relationship with his parents. They struggled to make ends meets in the ritzy suburb.
When NBC News approached the suspect’s mom for comment, she declined to talk about her son.
She said, “Get off my land,” outside her house before getting into a black SUV.
Tuesday’s police report stated that Crimo had threatened suicide in April 2019. Family members also reported to police that Crimo threatened to kill all of them in September 2019.
“At that point, there was not probable cause” for Crimo to be arrested, stated Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli from the Highland Park Police Department.
Pacileo stated that everyone knew Bobby was a fraud, but that he didn’t actually show signs of his ability to commit that level of violence.
Crimo “scared” me due to the many violent things he posted, said the ex-classmate, who requested not to be identified. “His lyrics and rap were extremely violent and just strange and he kinda scared me.”
Crimo also had a history of arguing with his teachers. The ex-classmate stated that Crimo was always seen wandering through the halls.
Crimo was a troublemaker because he spent more time marketing his music than studying, according to Ethan Absler, who attended Highland Park High School.
Absler stated that Absler was disturbed by Absler’s efforts to promote his music in class. He distracted people and asked them to go to his SoundCloud.
Absler stated that Crimo also placed stickers advertising his music throughout the school. Crimo had left by 2017’s end, after their sophomore year.
Absler stated that he understood that he had left Highland Park High School to pursue music. “Then, reports came out that he had gone to this school for troubled kids.”
Crimo may have attended North Shore Academy in Highland Park.
Kurt Schneider, the school’s superintendent said that he had received numerous requests from the media asking for information about Robert Crimo III’s attendance at North Shore Academy. The information reported is incorrect. He has never been to North Shore Academy.”
Absler claimed that he lost contact with Crimo following that. Then, Crimo returned to his hometown on Monday as a suspected mass shooter.
When Absler was asked about his thoughts when Crimo was taken into custody, Absler replied, “I slapped on my knee and I said, “I know that child!” It was unbelievable. It’s quite chilling to realize that you have met someone, walked in the exact same hallways, and were in the same gym class the year before. It’s hard to believe how close I was to this in these days of school shootings.
The ex-classmate stated that YouTube was “always like red flags, scary” on his channel. “He would vent about violent stuff on YouTube.”
Crimo, the ex classmate, said that Crimo was “a believer in nothing.” “Like nothing, no faith and nothing,” Crimo said.
Crimo posted racist rants on Snapchat at the same time,” an ex-classmate stated.
Pacileo stated that he was not surprised at the revelations by Crimo of dressing as a woman.
Pacileo stated, “That doesn’t surprise me. Bobby is a man who puts his mind to something and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.” “It was years of trauma and psychedelic drug addiction, which just led him to see a different reality.”
