The gunman accused of attacking an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun, killing at least seven people, then evading arrest, police said. started by wearing camouflage clothing and blending into the fleeing crowd, police said on Tuesday. .
Lake County Main Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference that the suspected shooter, arrested late Monday, used a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15” to shoot bullets from the top of a commercial building into a crowd. gathered for a parade in Highland Park, Ill., 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 on Tuesday, Covelli said.
Police allege that the suspect then dropped the rifle and fled, blending into the crowd as if he were an “innocent spectator”, dressed as a woman to hide his tattoos. on the face. He walked to his mother’s house and borrowed her car, according to police.
According to police, investigators who have questioned the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have yet to determine a motive for the attack.
Police said on Tuesday police said the suspected gunman spent weeks planning a mass shooting at the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill.
They also did not find any indication that the shooter targeted anyone by race, religion or other protected status.
Authorities have not filed criminal charges.
Earlier in the day, FBI agents peeked into trash cans and under picnic blankets as they searched for more evidence at the site where the attacker opened fire.
‘It’s popular now’
The shots at the parade were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of panicked revelers fled in terror.
A day later, baby strollers, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked marchers remained in a large police encirclement. Outside the police tape, several residents raced up to collect blankets and chairs they had abandoned.
The July 4 shooting was just the latest shooting to disrupt the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become places of killing in recent months. This time, the bloodshed comes as the nation tries to find a cause to celebrate its founding anniversary and the ties that remain entwined.
“It definitely makes it a lot harder when it’s not just your hometown but it’s right in front of your eyes,” resident Ron Tuazon said as he and a friend returned to the parade route late in the evening. Monday to retrieve a child’s chair, blanket and bicycle that he and his family abandoned when the shooting began.
“It’s become popular now,” Tuazon said. “We don’t blink anymore. Until the law changes, it will stay the same.”
Police Chief Lou Jogmen said an officer pulled Robert E. Crimo III about 8 kilometers north of the scene of the shooting hours after police released a photograph of him and warned that he had potentially armed and dangerous.
Authorities initially said Crimo, whose father ran for mayor of Highland Park, was 22 years old, but FBI and Crimo social media reports said he was 21 years old.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the US flag to be flown at a height of half a foot through Saturday as “out of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence perpetrated on… Our Independence Day.”
Several victims identified
The shooting happened at a point on the parade route, where many residents set out to set out important viewing spots early in the day for the annual celebration.
Among them was Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting family in Illinois from Mexico. His niece, Xochil Toledo, was shot and died at the scene.
Also killed was Jacki Sundheim, a lifelong congregation and “beloved” employee at the nearby North Bank Congregation of Israel, which announced her death on its website.
Police have not released details about the victims. Lake County Mayor Jennifer Banek said the five people killed at the parade were adults, but there was no word on Friday. Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, said on Twitter that two Mexicans were also injured.
Dozens of bullets were fired, sending hundreds of marchers – some of whom looked bloody – to flee. They leave behind traces of abandoned items that suggest that everyday life is suddenly violently disrupted: a box of chocolate chip cookies strewn across the lawn; a child’s Chicago Cubs cap; baby strollers, some carrying American flags.
“There is no safe place,” said Barbara Harte, 73, of Highland Park, who stayed away from the parade for fear of a mass shooting, but later ventured out of her home.
Dozens of people were injured
NorthShore University Medical Center admitted 26 patients after the attack. Dr Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness, said all but one had gunshot wounds. Their ages ranged from eight to 85, and Temple estimated that four or five were children.
Since the start of the year, there have been 15 mass shootings that have killed four or more people, including a shooting in Highland Park, according to The Associated Press / USA TODAY / Northeastern University Mass Killing database.
Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill said the gunman appeared to have fired from a rooftop where he was “very hard to see.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene. Police also found a ladder attached to the building.
Covelli said Crimo legally purchased the gun in Illinois over the past year. Officials said a second rifle was found in the vehicle when the suspect was arrested.
Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, is an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting on social media dozens of videos and songs, some ominous and violent.
In an animated video since it was taken down by YouTube, Crimo introduces troops “walking in the dark” when the drawing shows a man with a rifle, a body on the ground and a soldier. another object raised its hand from a distance.
