At least six people were killed, and at least 24 others were injured, in a mass shooting took place in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022, during an Independence Day parade.
The shooting occurred shortly after the parade started at 10:00 a.m. and the gunman fired a rifle from the rooftop of a clothing, shoes, accessories, and housewares store.
The shooter appeared to have fired “a high-powered rifle” from a rooftop, police said.
Christopher Covelli of the Lake County sheriff’s office said authorities are hunting for the shooter. Covelli said the gunman “was very discreet and very difficult to see.”
He called the crime “very random, very intentional,” and he called it “a very sad day.”
Police are still searching for the suspect and have identified 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as a person of interest. He’s considered armed, dangerous, and believed to be driving a 2010 silver Honda Fit with Illinois license plate DM80653.
The shooting suspect’s father was a 2019 Republican candidate for mayor who is a fan of former GOP President Donald Trump.
Bob Crimo Jr. ran for mayor of Highland Park on a platform advocating less regulation and more freedom. He lost by a 2-to-1 margin to incumbent Mayor Nancy Rotering who signed an assault weapons ban ordinance approved by the town council in 2013.
The FBI asked that anyone who had video of the shooting or possible information about the shooter call their toll-free tipline at (800) CALL-FBI.
The shooter remains at large and celebrations in nearby communities have been cancelled.
An eyewitness recounted that she believed the shots were noise from fireworks, until she heard other attendees shouting about a shooter. She grabbed her son and started running, stating it was chaotic with attendees that got separated from their families and many just dropped items that they had brought with them.
“This doesn’t happen here,” said a witness who ran to safety with his family. “It shouldn’t happen anywhere.”
As they fled the parade route on Central Street in downtown Highland Park, panicked parade-goers left behind chairs, baby strollers and blankets as they sought cover, not knowing just what happened.
Highland Park Police Commander Christ O’Neill said that a rifle used has been recovered and that the suspect appeared to be 18 to 20 years old, white and wearing a blue T-shirt.
You must log in to post a comment.