The new evidence shows that the suspect gunman in the Highland Park 4th of July parade shooting was flagged as a suicide attempt and threat of violence as early as 2019. Local investigators encountered roadblocks and were unable to seize 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword.
Chris Covelli, spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force said Tuesday that there were no complaints.
Videos of the suspect glorifying mass shootings were also removed by his followers. Scott Sweetow, an ex-FBI and ATF agent, said that there is a digital tsunami threatening investigators.
“One of the greatest challenges is how do you sort through the overwhelming amount of information to find the bits that could be of interest to the next mass shooter?” Sweetow replied, “ultraviolent” online content being the answer.
The three suspects in the shooting at the Buffalo supermarket in New York in May, Uvalde elementary school attack last month and the Highland Park shooting Monday were all young men aged 21 or less with concerns about online activity.
There are 19 states and the District of Columbia that have “red flag” laws which allow individuals to petition for temporary removal of firearms from those who pose a threat to themselves or others. Sweetow stated that these laws are not applicable if online activity isn’t reported to law enforcement.
He said, “No matter how well the law is and how much money it receives, if people won’t pick up the phone and get on a keyboard to tell law enforcement what they saw,”
Sweetow stated that there are a few indicators that can be alarming, including loners who fantasize about violence and arming themselves.
He said, “When the hair stands up on your neck at the back, you should take the necessary steps to notify law enforcement.” Notify an authority to determine what should be done next.
These “lone wolf” attacks are notoriously difficult to stop. They can quickly move from hateful speech online (which can have First Amendment protections) to violence.
