On July 4th, a mass shooting occurred during the holiday parade in Chicago’s Highland Park. The attack caused six deaths and dozens of injuries. The police have listed Robert E. Crimo III as the main suspect.
On the morning of July 4th, the suspect climbed up to the roof of a nearby store, then shot down at the parade. Crimo used a high-powered rifle to shoot, which he also legally bought earlier. Highland Park, where the shooting occurred, has also had assault weapons under a ban since 2013.
Two of the six deaths have been publicly identified so far. Nicolas Toledo is one of them. He was at the parade with his family. Said family has started a GoFundMe to help with the funeral expenses. The other victim was Jacki Sundheim. Her North Shore Congregation Israel synagogue also wrote some things about Sundheim on their website.
Details Of The Highland Park Shooting & Arrest
The shooting was not until 15 minutes into the parade. This is the first parade that Highland Park has had since the pandemic began. At first, people thought that it was fireworks going off until they realized the horrible truth. After the shooting, he blended in with the crowd, wearing women’s clothes. This was to hide his face and tattoo.
Crimo was listed as the main suspect and was taken into custody last night. After an hour-long chase, law enforcement eventually caught the suspect at a traffic stop.
According to Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, some of Crimo’s online posts “reflected a plan and a desire to commit carnage for a long time in advance.” Some of his music videos had also shown some violent implications.
Who is “Awake?”
Crimo initially appeared under his Hip-Hop nickname “Awake” in 2016 when he released his first single, “By the Pond.” The song later disappeared from all stores and streaming services. Crimo mainly focused on mixtapes after that.
Youtube probably deleted Crimo’s channel in 2020, with his last song, “BANG.”
According to the Daily Beast, Crimo’s videos had been presenting violent imagery and mass shooting fantasies. According to Mark Heyes, who was in cub scouts with Crimo as children, the suspected mass shooter was a loner. He would ride around the neighborhood, and nearby nature preserves, blasting heavy metal. Robert Crimo’s uncle, Paul Crimo, told Fox that he did not notice any warning signs in his nephew’s behavior.
There have been criticisms about how police handle white criminals, such as Crimo, compared to Jayland Walker. The notion is that despite being unarmed, Walker was deemed a more significant threat than Crimo, who had a gun in the trunk.
The motive for the shooting is still unknown.
Written by Justin Acosta
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