At Least 7 Killed In Shooting At Fourth Of July Parade In Highland Park, Illinois

At least seven people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a shooting interrupted a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, police said Monday.

Police named 21-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as a person of interest in the shooting, saying authorities arrested him after a brief chase later that day. (Authorities initially identified Crimo as 22 years old.)

We do believe Crimo pre-planned this attack for several weeks, Lake County Sheriffs Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said Tuesday.

Crimo dressed in womens clothing during the attack to conceal his facial tattoos and general appearance so that he could blend into the crowd and make his escape after firing more than 70 shots from the top of a building, Covelli alleged. Crimo accessed the platform by climbing up the buildings fire escape, Covelli said.

Five of the shooting victims died at the parade, and a sixth died at a hospital, WGN-TV reported . On Tuesday afternoon, police announced that a seventh victim had died. The ages of the deceased range from 35 to 88 years old. Twenty-six people were rushed to NorthShore hospital, including several children, and nearly all of them were treated for gunshot wounds. Nineteen of them, ranging from ages 8 to 85, were later released.

Police found one assault-style rifle at the scene and discovered a second rifle in Crimos vehicle during the traffic stop; both had been purchased legally. The vehicle belonged to the suspects mother, whose home Crimo had fled to after the shooting.

Targets of the shooting appeared to be completely random, Covelli said.

Highland Park police responded to Crimos residence in April 2019 following a suicide attempt, and again in September 2019 when a family member called police voicing concerns that Crimo had talked about killing people and had a large collection of knives. Police removed 16 knives, a sword and a dagger from the residence, but said Tuesday that there was no probable cause to arrest Crimo, and the family member did not sign a formal complaint.

The town of Highland Park which is home to about 30,000 people about 25 miles north of Chicago had asked residents to shelter in place while the shooter was still at large hours after the attack.

People fled the parade route in panic as gunshots rang out at 10:14 a.m. local time, abandoning chairs, coolers and baby strollers. Video on social media showed a band on a float continuing to play as people ran past in fear, clutching their children.

My video.. I was at #Highland Park parade.. Terrified people fleeing July 4th parade when shooting started. pic.twitter.com/DSe0NJOuem

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My video.. I was at #Highland Park parade.. Terrified people fleeing July 4th parade when shooting started. pic.twitter.com/DSe0NJOuem
Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) July 4, 2022

The parade, with its floats and marching bands, was part of a full day of planned Fourth of July events. Its a long-standing tradition in Highland Park, an affluent town thats been used as a setting for films like Ferris Buellers Day Off and Risky Business.

Witnesses told WGN about the confusion that ensued when they heard loud bangs. Some people thought the sound was fireworks.

Highland Park resident Debbie Glickman, who was on a parade float at the time, told The Associated Press , People started saying: Theres a shooter, theres a shooter, theres a shooter. So we just ran. We just ran. Its like mass chaos down there.

Witness Alexander Sandoval told WGN that he put his son in a dumpster for safety while he went back to find the rest of his family. When I went back, there was people shot on the ground, there was a little boy that was being carried away, probably 6 to 8 years old.

That was the worst part of all of this being a father, hiding your children, seeing a little boy carried away. I cant imagine what that family is going through right now, he said.