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Highland Park shooting – live: Death toll climbs to seven as suspect Robert Crimo’s motive still unknown



Bystanders run after hearing gunshots in shooting at July 4 parade in Illinois

At least six adults were killed and 38 injured in a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois on Monday after a gunman scaled a fire escape and fired more than 70 rounds down onto the bustling crowd from a business rooftop.

Hours later, police announced that they arrested a 21-year-old man named Robert E Crimo, as a person of interest.

Robert E Crimo has been named as a person of interest in the Highland Park July 4th mass shooting

(City of Highland Park)

“It sounded like fireworks going off,” shared a witness, Richard Kaufmann. “It was pandemonium. People were covered in blood tripping over each other.”

Lake County Sgt Christopher Covelli said in a press conference on Tuesday that the suspect “planned his attack for several weeks” and dressed in women’s clothes as a disguise so that he could slip under the radar as he fled the scene.

The gun used in the shooting was a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15”, police said, and like the second rifle found inside Crimo’s vehicle when he was arrested on Monday, it too was legally purchased.

Authorities have not formally charged the 21-year-old, but Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering told CBS she expects criminal charges to be announced later on Tuesday.

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Pope calls for rejection of violence in wake of ‘senseless shooting’

Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolence to Chicago’s archbishop, Cardinal Blase Cupich, on Tuesday, during which he called for a rejection of violence in the wake of the “senseless shooting” that killed six people and injured dozens during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park.

The Catholic Church leader said in the message that he was praying for all the innocent people who died during the 4 July parade and for “healing and consolation to the injured and bereaved”.

While quoting a passage from the Bible, he asked that everyone “reject violence in all its forms and respect life in all its stages”.

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 19:33

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Crimo’s arrest sparks anger over police double standards

Footage of the arrest of Robert Crimo has sparked a fresh series of bitter conversations about racism in policing.

One week prior to the 21-year-old’s relatively non-violent arrest, a 25-year-old Black man, Jayland Walker, was shot at least 60 times by eight police officers in Akron, Ohio following an attempt to pull Mr Walker over for traffic and equipment violations.

Mr Walker, who was unarmed and was was pursued by cops over a violation of his car, stands in sharp contrast to the relatively nonviolent arrest of Mr Crimo — who is accused of perpetrating one of the worst mass shootings in recent US history at a Fourth of July parade.

Read the full report from my colleague Abe Asher below:

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 19:05

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What we know about gun used by alleged Highland Park shooter Robert Crimo

The type of gun used in the Highland Park July 4th parade mass shooting that killed six and wounded at least 38 was a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15”, police said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Authorities initially said they had recovered a “rifle” from along the 4 July parade route, and that they were deliberately withholding further details as they hunted for the gunman.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Sgt Christopher Covelli, from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, shed more light on the firearm used in the deadly attack, telling reporters that after the gunman scaled a fire escape of a business along the parade route, he then fired more than 70 rounds down onto the crowd.

According to the Highland Park mayor, the gun used in the attack was legally purchased and authorities later confirmed that they uncovered multiple firearms at the home of Mr Crimo, including a pistol, all of which were also legally purchased.

Read the full briefing by my colleague Bevan Hurley below:

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 18:42

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YouTube and Spotify remove content posted by Robert Crimo

YouTube and Spotify both confirmed that they’d removed content that had been previously shared on their respective platforms by Robert Crimo, according to CNN.

“Following the horrific incident in Highland Park, our Trust and Safety teams identified and quickly removed violative content, in accordance with our Community Guidelines,” YouTube told CNN in a written statement.

“Spotify, in partnership with the distributor, has removed the content in question,” Spotify said to the media outlet in a separate statement.

Both companies didn’t provide answers about whether Mr Crimo’s content had been flagged or reported to moderators prior to the 4 July mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois.

The Independent previously reported on how Mr Crimo, who goes by the nickname Bobby, considered himself to be an amateur rapper. He had allegedly uploaded a number of videos online, many months before the shooting, filled with violent imagery and depictions of mass murder.

His stage name, “Awake the Rapper”, had reportedly garnered more than 16,000 listeners per month on his Spotify page, since removed.

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 18:35

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Biden orders US flags to half mast in honour of Highland Park victims

American flags will fly at half-mast across the United States and on all American vessels, embassies, and other overseas facilities until sunset on Friday after President Joe Biden ordered them lowered in honour of the victims of the Highland Park, Illinois shooting.

“As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence perpetrated on our Independence Day, July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff … until sunset, July 9, 2022,” Mr Biden wrote in a proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday.

American flags will fly at half-mast across the United States and on all US vessels, embassies, and other overseas facilities until sunset on Friday after President Joe Biden ordered them lowered in honour of the victims of the Highland Park, Illinois shooting which claimed six lives at an Independence Day celebration on Monday. “As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence perpetrated on our Independence Day, July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff … until sunset, July 9, 2022,” Mr Biden wrote in a proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday.

(White House)

In what has become a grim ritual, Mr Biden issued a similar proclamation after mass shootings took place in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York two months ago.

Read the full report from The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg:

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 18:14

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Crimo had multiple legal firearms registered to his name, authorities say

In addition to the high-powered rifle used to carry out the attack – which was left behind at the scene and police described as being “similar to an AR-15” – Mr Crimo also had a second rifle inside his vehicle when he was arrested on Monday evening following the mass shooting in Highland Park.

During a search of the suspect’s home, authorities said during a press conference on Tuesday that they uncovered multiple other firearms, including pistols.

All the firearms were legally purchased and registered under his name, police said.

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 17:57

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Crimo ‘planned attack for several weeks’, dressed in women’s clothing to flee shooting

The Highland Park shooting suspect “planned his attack for several weeks” and dressed in women’s clothes as a disguise so that he could slip under the radar as he fled the scene of the mass shooting, according to law enforcement.

Robert Crimo III, 21, was arrested on Monday evening following an eight-hour manhunt.

Lake County Sgt Christopher Covelli said in a press conference on Tuesday that Mr Crimo was captured on video dressed in women’s clothing so that he could blend into the crowd of panicked parade-goers as they ran from the scene of the massacre. He said he wasn’t sure if the suspect was also wearing a wig at the time.

Follow this developing story with my colleague Rachel Sharp below:

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 17:54

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Gun used in the attack was similar to an AR-15, authorities say

The gun used in the deadly Fourth of July shooting that left six dead and dozens injured was similar to an AR-15, authorities said.

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officers also confirmed that all six of the people killed in the brutal mid-morning attack were adults.

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 17:46

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Robert Crimo went to Trump rally dressed as Where’s Waldo

Robert Crimo, 21, who arrested as a person of interest in connection with the mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park once attended a Donald Trump rally dressed up as the character from “Where’s Waldo”.

Mr Crimo, who has not been formally charged over the attack, appears to be a supporter of the former president. In addition to the disturbing videos posted online ahead of Monday’s massacre, he was also once pictured in the Waldo outfit at a Trump rally in Northbrook, Illinois, in September 2020.

He posted a selfie of himself at the event with a Trump 2020 flag seen in the background.

Keep reading the full report from my colleague Rachel Sharp below:

Johanna Chisholm5 July 2022 17:35

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Crimo ‘planned attack for weeks’

Authorities held a press conference just before noon on Tuesday, where they revealed that person of interest Robert Crimo allegedly planned his attack for weeks.

It was also revealed that Crimo was able to remain on the run for so long in part because he dressed in women’s clothing.

Further, officials confirmed that Crimo is 21 years old, not 22 as previously reported.

Megan Sheets5 July 2022 17:34



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