Yesterday evening (July 4), police announced a person of interest was in custody in connection to the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. As parade-goers gathered to celebrate Independence Day, shots rang out. The gunfire reportedly came from a high-powered rifle situated on a rooftop. Authorities confirmed at least six deaths and over two dozen injuries following the incident. Officials named 22-year-old Robert “Bobby” E Crimo III as the suspect.
According to law enforcement, the alleged shooter was taken into custody “without incident” after a police pursuit ended in north suburban Lake Forest. Officials found his car in North Chicago just before he fled the scene, resulting in the pursuit. Sources say Crimo was brought in for questioning at the Highland Park Police Department. The suspect is said to be a resident of the area and was reportedly driving a 2010 silver Honda Fit with the Illinois license plate DM80653. Highland Park Police Cmdr. Chris O’Neill described the accused gunman as a white man with a small build and “longer” black hair.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli asked that anyone with information come forward. “We’re asking anybody with any video surveillance that they may have, please review your cell phones,” he said. “If you were snapping pictures in the area of Second and Central today, that could help investigators. They may see something in there that may be useful and allow them to proceed further with the investigation. Any business owners in that area we’re asking, please, review your video surveillance. If you have any video surveillance of that area at that time, even if you don’t see anything in there, we would love to be able to take a look at that so we can further our investigation,” Covelli added.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said online posts by Crimo “reflected a plan and a desire to commit carnage for a long time in advance,” according to CNN. She also stated she’d known him as a child. “I know him as somebody who was a Cub Scout when I was the Cub Scout leader. He was just a little boy,” the mayor noted. “It’s one of those things where you step back and you say, ‘What happened? How did somebody become this angry, this hateful?’ To then take it out on innocent people who literally were just having a family day out,” Rotering said.
Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III taken in Alive. Don’t tell me we don’t have a problem with race in this country. #JaylandWalker killed no one and got shot 60 times. pic.twitter.com/Kbw5Wy3bEG
— Far From Scripted Podcast (@FarScripted) July 5, 2022
When Robert "Bobby" E Crimo III was taken into custody without incident after murdering 6 & injuring 26 during a parade – but Jayland Walker was shot 60 times & murdered by cops because of an alleged traffic violation – it’s unequal treatment. pic.twitter.com/NwQCZ3PMNw
— anyone_want_chips (@anyonewantchips) July 5, 2022
Robert E. Crimo III: Mass shooter. Killed six people. Injured dozens more. Taken into custody alive.
Jayland Walker: Pulled over on a traffic stop. Shot 60 times as he ran from the police. Murdered.
What’s the difference? I can’t q-WHITE put my finger on it.
— 😱 Scary Larry 😱 🇺🇦✊🏻🇺🇸🗽 (@aintscarylarry) July 5, 2022