The alleged gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in the suburbs of Chicago fired more than 70 cartridges with an AR-15-style pistol that killed at least seven people, then dodged the initial capture by dressing up in disguise and mingling with the fleeing crowd, police said Tuesday. .
Lake County Major Crimes Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference that the alleged shooter, who was arrested Monday night, used a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR -15 “to spray bullets from the top of a commercial building into a crowd that had gathered for a parade in Highland Park, Illinois, a close-knit community on the shores of Lake Michigan that has long attracted the rich and sometimes famous.
More than 30 people were injured in the attack, including one who died Tuesday, Covelli said.
Police allege that the suspect then dropped his rifle and escaped, mingling with the crowd as if he were an “innocent spectator,” dressed as a woman to hide his facial tattoos. He walked to his mother’s house and borrowed the car, according to police.
Investigators who have questioned the suspect and reviewed his posts on social media have not determined the motive for the attack, according to police.
MIRAR | The weapon was bought legally, police say:
According to police, an alleged gunman planned an attack for weeks
The alleged gunman spent weeks planning a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, and dressed as a woman to avoid being identified, police said Tuesday.
Nor have they found any indication that the shooter was targeting anyone by race, religion or other state of protection.
Authorities have not filed criminal charges.
In the early hours of the day, FBI agents looked in the trash and under picnic blankets as they searched for more evidence at the spot where the assailant opened fire.
“It’s common now”
The features of the parade were initially confused with fireworks before hundreds of panicked partygoers fled in terror.
A day later, baby strollers, lawn chairs and other items left by those in the panic parade were left within a wide police perimeter. Outside the police tape, some residents went to pick up blankets and chairs they had left behind.
The July 4 shooting was the last to break the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have become death grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came when the nation was trying to find reasons to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.
“It’s definitely a lot harder when it’s not only your hometown, but you’re also in front of you,” resident Ron Tuazon said as he and a friend returned to the parade route Monday evening to retrieve chairs, blankets and a children’s bike he made. and his family left when the shooting began.
“It’s common now,” Tuazon said. “Let’s not blink anymore. Until the laws change, it will be more of the same.”
A couple recovered two car seats Tuesday after they were left near the scene of the shooting in Highland Park, a Chicago suburb. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune via AP)
A police officer arrested Robert E. Crimo III about eight miles north of the shooting scene several hours after police posted his photo and warned he was probably armed and dangerous, the Highland police chief said. Park, Lou Jogmen.
Authorities initially said Crimo, whose father ran for mayor of Highland Park, was 22, but an FBI bulletin and Crimo’s social media said he was 21.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff until Saturday as a “mark of respect for victims of the senseless acts of armed violence perpetrated on our Independence Day.”
Some victims identified
The shooting occurred at a point along the parade route where many residents had located privileged views in the early hours of the day for the annual celebration.
Among them was Nicolas Toledo, who from Mexico visited his family in Illinois. He was shot and died at the scene, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Jacki Sundheim, a lifelong congregation member and “beloved” staff member of the nearby North Shore Congregation Israel, was also killed, announcing her death on her website.
Police have not released details about the victims. Lake County coroner Jennifer Banek said the five people killed in the parade were adults, but had no information about the sixth. Roberto Velasco, director of U.S. affairs in Mexico, said on Twitter that two Mexicans were also injured.
Dozens of bullets fired at hundreds of people attending the parade, some visibly bleeding. They left a trail of abandoned objects that showed everyday life suddenly, violently interrupted: a box of chocolate chip cookies spilled on the grass; a Chicago Cubs children’s cap; baby strollers, some with American flags.
“There’s no safe place,” said Barbara Harte, a 73-year-old Highland Park resident who had stayed away from the parade for fear of a mass shooting, but later ventured out of her home.
Dozens injured
The NorthShore University Health Center received 26 patients after the attack. All but one had gunshot wounds, said Dr. Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness. Their ages ranged from eight to 85, and Temple estimated that four or five were children.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 15 shootings in which four or more people have been killed, including in Highland Park, according to the Associated Press / USA TODAY / Northeastern University Mass Killing database.
Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill said it appears the man fired from a rooftop where it was “very hard to see.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene. Police also found a staircase attached to the building.
Covelli said Crimo legally bought the gun in Illinois over the past year. Officials said a second rifle was found in the car when the suspect was arrested.
Crimo, whose name is Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting dozens of videos and songs on social media, some sinister and violent.
In an animated video since YouTube removed him, Crimo talks about armies “walking in the dark” as a drawing of a man pointing a rifle, a body on the ground and another figure with his hands up in the distance appears .