How Robert Crimo’s massacre unfolded
A gunman opened fire at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade outside Chicago on Monday morning, just the latest in a recent spate of mass shootings in the US.
Here is how the horror unfolded:
Parade begins at 10 a.m. July 4
The annual patriotic march in the tony suburb of Highland Park kicks off featuring floats and marching bands and lots of families on the sidelines cheering them on.
10 minutes later
Shots ring out at the intersection of Central Avenue and Second Street after suspect Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III allegedly climbed to the rooftop of a building along the parade route and started shooting at innocent people gathered below. A video clip captured two bursts of rapid-fire gunshots as screaming parade-goers fled.
Around 11 a.m.
Reports begin circulating across the country about shots fired. About 20 minutes later, a Chicago Sun Times reporter tweets a widely shared video of children, men and women running amid gunfire and klezmer music.
About 1 p.m.
Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill tells reporters that the gunman fired while perched on a rooftop of a commercial building with a “high-powered rifle.”
Around 4 p.m.
President Biden releases a statement saying he is “shocked” by the shooting. He later holds a moment of silence for the victims of the mass murder.
5 p.m.
Officials identify Crimo as a person of interest in the slaying. They say he is on the lam driving a 2010 silver Honda Fit and is armed and dangerous.
7:40 p.m.
Cops take Crimo into custody in Lake Forest, Ill., about a mile from the scene of the shooting, according to local reports. Cellphone video captured the moment several police officers cornered Crimo and arrested him in the middle of a road with guns pointed at him.
In the ensuing hours
A picture of the alleged cold-blooded killer begins to take form.
Crimo, an amateur rapper, has a history of disturbing online posts invoking shootings and bloodshed.
He posted a video to his since-deleted YouTube page that included a drawing of someone who appeared to have been shot dead by police, screenshots posted online indicated.
He also released a music video titled “Are You Awake” in October 2021 that included drawings of a man aiming a rifle at a person.
But Crimo’s uncle insists there were no signs that his 21-year-old nephew would carry out such carnage.
July 5
Highland Park’s mayor reveals that Crimo used a legally obtained firearm in the massacre.
Hours later, officials hold a news briefing in which it is revealed that Crimo climbed onto the roof of a building in the upscale suburb dressed in women’s clothing to disguise himself and that he fired dozens of rounds with a high-powered AR-15-style rifle.
After unloading the barrage of bullets, he concealed the weapon in a red blanket and dropped it behind the building as he fled during the mayhem, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the July 4 horror rises to seven.
Tuesday evening, prosecutors charge the suspect shooter with seven counts of first-degree murder, labeling the slaughter a “premeditated and calculated attack.” Crimo faces life in prison without parole, if convicted.
More coverage on the Highland Park parade shooting
Other developments include:
July 6
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force releases Crimo’s mugshot. In it, he looks up at the camera with shaggy, shoulder-length dark hair and tattoos visible on his face and neck.
Law enforcement officials also reveal at a news conference that Crimo admitted to fatally shooting parade-goers, that he “seriously contemplated” conducting another mass shooting later Monday and that he possessed 60 rounds when he fled the scene.
In addition, they disclose that he used a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle to fire more than 80 rounds at the parade-goers and that he stopped twice to reload his weapon.
Other developments include:
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