[Breaking news update at 6:53 p.m. ET Tuesday]:
Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, the Highland Park shooting suspect, has been charged with seven counts first-degree murder. Eric Rinehart, Lake County State’s attorney, announced this Tuesday at a press conference.
Rinehart stated to reporters that these were the first of many charges against Mr. Crimo.
He said that he expected Crimo to face dozens of additional charges.
Rinehart stated that Crimo could be sentenced to a mandatory life term without parole if he is convicted.
He said, “It would not be possible to bring these charges back without the incredible efforts of law enforcement. I cannot thank them enough.” “Lake County will never again be the same.”
[Breaking news update at 6:33 p.m. ET Tuesday]:
On Tuesday afternoon, Jennifer Banek, Lake County Coroner, identified six victims in the Highland Park shooting.
Banek said that he had been notified of a seventh victim who died in a hospital outside of Lake County.
Sgt. Christopher Covelli, Lake County Major Crime Task Force, stated that the current victim count is 45.
Covelli and authorities both mentioned that Robert Crimo was involved with two separate incidents in Highland Park before Monday’s mass shooting.
According to authorities, the most recent incident occurred in September 2019. A family member reported that Crimo had a large knife collection and was “going to kill everybody.” The police responded and took the 16 knives out of Crimo’s house.
According to authorities, Crimo tried to commit suicide five months prior to April 2019. Police were alerted by someone one week earlier. Crimo’s parents and Crimo were contacted by police, who learned that Crimo was being treated by mental health professionals.
Covelli stated that, based on video surveillance photos, a female witness was believed to have witnessed Crimo drop an object in a red blanket just after the shooting. Later, Covelli clarified that the object was actually a rifle.
Authorities have asked this person to come forward.
Crimo had bought five firearms: two rifles as well as some pistols and possibly even a shotgun. According to Covelli who said that Crimo purchased the guns in 2020 and 2021.
Authorities seized the weapons from Crimo’s home on Monday.
[Original story published at 3:42 p.m. ET Tuesday]:
Officials said Tuesday that the suspected gunman responsible for the shooting in Highland Park, Ill. on Monday had been planning the attack for several weeks. He disguised himself as a woman to hide his identity.
A beloved July Fourth tradition was ended by a 21-year-old man who opened fire on a Chicago holiday parade, killing seven and injuring many more.
Robert Crimo III (who authorities claim is the sole suspect) preplanned the shooting for several months, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli, Lake County Major Crime Task Force, told reporters.
Crimo fired on paradegoers using a “high-powered rifle” that Covelli described was similar to an AR-15 to shoot at them from the roof of a nearby building. After an hour-long manhunt, Crimo was finally taken into custody Monday night.
Covelli claimed that the suspect was dressed in women’s clothes and possibly wearing a wig and fired more than 70 shots into the crowd. He then reportedly dropped his rifle and fled with the crowd, “almost like he was an innocuous spectator,” before walking back to his mother and borrowing a car.
Eight hours later, authorities had identified Crimo publicly as a person-of-interest and published a description his car. A police officer saw the 2010 silver Honda Fit traveling southbound and made a traffic stop.
According to Covelli, police found a second gun in the car. Covelli said that Crimo may have legally purchased the two firearms in two separate locations in Chicagoland. Covelli didn’t specify the number of firearms that investigators found at Crimo’s Highwood home.
Covelli stated that the suspect was believed to have acted on his own and that the shooting appeared to be random. He said that investigators don’t have any evidence to suggest that the shooting was motivated by religion, race or other protected status.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, about a third of Highland Park’s 30,000 inhabitants are Jewish.
Morning Edition was told by Nancy Rotering, Highland Park Mayor. Crimo brought the weapons into the city in violation of local laws. Highland Park was the first to ban weapons such as large-capacity magazines and semi-automatic rifles in 2013.
Rotering pointed out that laws vary in Illinois cities and other states, as well as in neighboring states such Wisconsin and Indiana. Rotering is calling for greater collaboration between states in order to prevent tragedies similar to those that occurred in her hometown.
She stated that “we know that in so many mass shootings that have become weekly events, the guns are being legally obtained.” “This should be a warning to all of us, that laws aren’t doing their job if people are unable to go out to enjoy the 4th of July parade without fear. We don’t have to be militarized so that we can’t enjoy all the freedoms that our forefathers fought for 246 centuries ago.
Here are some other things we know:
The suspect gunman is an aspiring rapper, who goes by the name of “Awakethe Rapper” and posts music videos to YouTube and other social media platforms.
Morning Edition’s Cheryl Corley, NPR’s Cheryl Corley, says that some of the videos are “ominous” and violent. One video shows a stick figure holding an automatic rifle and another showing a person in a pool blood. Another video shows someone in a classroom putting on a tactical helmet, vest and reaching for a backpack.
Corley reports that the videos have been removed.
Covelli stated that while the suspect had made contact with law enforcement on Tuesday, there was “nothing violent” about it and that he couldn’t speak of this at this time. He added that police were not informed of the violent videos at that time.
Rotering, the mayor, said to NBC that she met him as a Cub Scout, and she was his Cub Scout leader.
Corley says his family is well-known in the area. His father owns a convenience store in Highland Park and was elected mayor in 2019. He lost to Rotering by more that a 2-to-1 margin.
Covelli stated that investigators were able quickly to track down Crimo’s identity using witness statements, video from businesses and attendees and a fast trace of his firearm. He said that Crimo was recognized by several police officers and they were able to identify him in photos.
Lou Jogmen, Chief of Highland Park Police, stated Monday evening that a North Chicago officer saw the man driving a silver Honda Fit and pulled him over during a traffic stop. He tried to flee, but an officer called for backup and was able to apprehend him after a short chase.
Rotering stated to Morning Edition that she understood why the suspect was able “to evade police for so long” by driving all over the place.
She added that “I believe they were able get to him at one point with the incredible collaboration of many agencies, municipal police department, FBI, ATF, and the Illinois State Police.”
Notably, Monday’s shooting occurred in the aftermath of high-profile mass killings in New York City and Texas and as outrage continued over the police shooting of Jayland Walker, 25, in Akron (Ohio) last week.
Rashawn Ray, a Brookings Institution colleague, made a distinction on Tuesday between Walker’s arrest by police and the manner in which Crimo was arrested.
He stated that Jayland Walker was not armed when he was shot to death. This is a crucial point.
The victims of Monday’s shooting included four to five children, and ranged from age 8 to 85.
WBEZ, a member station reports that many people were taken to local hospitals. While most were treated for gunshot wounds and some were even treated for injuries that were sustained while trying to escape the chaos.
Dr. Brigham Temple, Highland Park Hospital, stated that 26 of the 26 patients were gunshot victims. 19 of them were released.
Chief Joe Schrage of Highland Park Fire said that the crews responded quickly to the call and that witnesses assisted in tying tourniquets.
Rotering stated that vigils have been held at local houses of worship, and that anyone affected by the shooting can access crisis counseling and other support services.
She spoke of the outpouring support within and outside Highland Park and stated that more information on how to help and where you can donate will be made available on the city’s website in the next few days.
According to Jennifer Banek of Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek the victims were all adults and five died on the spot. The sixth victim was taken to a local hospital. Authorities later revealed that a seventh victim was identified.
Some of them have been identified publicly by their family members.
Nicolas Toledo is one of them. He arrived from Mexico several months back to be with his family. WBEZ’s Xochil Toledo, his granddaughter, said that the couple had been enjoying the parade until it started to rain.
Three of them hit her grandfather. One of them hit her father in his arm while he tried to protect him. As he attempted to run away, he was shot in his back.
She said that her grandfather saved all her lives. It would have gone to me, my boyfriend, or my cousins.
To raise funds for funeral expenses, the family created a GoFundMe account. This fundraiser is dedicated to the “father of Eight” and grandfather to many. He was creative, funny, and imaginative.
They wrote, “As a family, we are broken and numb.” “Our condolences go to all of the families that lost a [loved] member today.”
North Shore Congregation Israel stated in a statement, that Jacki Sundheim was one of the victims. It described her as a lifelong member of their staff and a congregant.
“Jacki’s kindness, warmth, and work touched us all, from her early teaching days at the Gates of Learning Preschool, to helping us through our many moments of joy, sorrow, and as our Events Coordinator aEUR”, the synagogue wrote.
The statement added, “There are no words to express our deepest sorrow for Jacki’s passing and sympathy for her loved ones.”
Monday’s July Fourth parade was the first in the area since the pandemic. According to authorities, the scene quickly became one of panic and fear when the shooter started firing at 10:14 AM local time.
Although it is not known exactly how many shots were fired at the scene, several witnesses claim that they heard between 20 and 25 shots in quick succession.
Morning Edition was told by Jessica Antes that people took a while to understand what was happening.
“We were about 10, 15 minutes into the show, and Ryan, my co-host, and I looked at one another and said: That’s got to have been fireworks right? She recalls that someone had set off fireworks. “Then we saw people just scattering and screaming.”
Miles Zaremski told NPR that he mistook the gunshots at first for fireworks or a car backfiring. The stampede followed.
He said, “And then, I gingerly moved a bit forward, all of a sudden, I see blood on cement.” “And then I saw individuals in pools blood… I knew there had been a mass shooting.”
Alexander Sandoval, who went to the parade along with his family members and their dog, said that it was terrifying.
Sandoval recalls, “I put my little brother and my puppy in the trash dumpster and ran back to search for my partner. I saw people on ground shot.” “And all that I wanted was to get my phone and call to make sure we were reunited, and get out of there.”
The Highland Park incident was just one of many mass shootings that occurred across the country on July 4th.
A tracker from Gun Violence Archive shows that one person was killed in mass shootings in Massachusetts and California. Another 18 were injured in five other shootings in Missouri, Virginia, Illinois, and Chicago.
Mass shootings are defined by the nonprofit as any incident in which at least four victims (except the shooter) are injured or killed and shot. According to their count, 314 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. so far this year.
