After endless hours on the run, he was finally captured. Chicago police reported Monday afternoon that they arrested Robert Crimo III, the 22-year-old suspect in the shooting that left at least 6 dead and more than 30 injured during a July 4 celebration outside Chicago. from Chicago. The motivations behind the attack are unknown at this time. As reported at a press conference, he was captured on the north side of Chicago after a police officer unsuccessfully tried to stop him during a traffic stop. The young man tried to escape again but was apprehended shortly after “without incident” near Lake Forest, Illinois.
The FBI initially said Robert Crimo was still considered a “person of interest,” though police later said they held him responsible for the shooting. The young man was turned over to police in Highland Park, where the shooting took place, for investigation and connections to the case. The capture of Robert Crimo put an end to hours of a long search in which the police shared details and descriptions of the young man, as well as the car in which he moved and asked people to stay away from him because they considered him “an armed and dangerous subject”.
Lengthy and winding pursuit
The Chicago police took almost eight hours to find the whereabouts of Robert Crimo, whose photo and details about the car in which he was moving began to circulate on the internet. Authorities reported that the young man was driving a Honda Fit with Illinois plate DM8063, describing him as “a thin, white male with brown eyes and brown hair, weighing 120 pounds.”
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They detailed that he had several tattoos, including a distinctive one on his cheek that showed four stripes with another that crosses them, like the traditional count of five. They also reported that he had other tattoos such as red roses and green leaves on his neck, and cursive letters above his left eyebrow. Local media in the US indicated that Crime lives in Chicago is a rapper and publishes songs on his social networks. A profile with his name on the IMDB movie page (which the authorities have not officially confirmed belongs to him) ensures that “Robert Crimo(…) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director from Chicago.”
Any other information about Robert Crimo?
Several music videos with his name appear on various platforms and social networks, showing a young man with physical characteristics similar to the photographs shown by the police. In several of the videos, Robert Crimo appears to advocate guns and school shootings. In fact, in one of them called On my Mind (In my mind) he is seen dressed in a vest and a military operations helmet in a classroom.
At one point in the recording, he reaches into a backpack and, after a cut to a black screen, the classroom is seen in chaos and the young man smiles maliciously. “My actions will be brave and my thinking is unnecessary. I know what I have to do, I know what it means, not only for me but for everyone else,” he sings in one of the songs. In another of the songs, Are You Awake, he says he would perform “an act that would define his life beyond his ability to stop” and includes an image of a newspaper clipping about Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who assassinated President John F. Kennedy?
Exactly what transpired?
The shooting took place during one of the traditional US Independence Day parades. Local media report that hundreds of people crowded the sidewalks to enjoy the floats, music bands, and performances as part of the city’s celebrations. According to the initial report, the attacker opened fire from the roof of a camping supply store at around 10:15 local time (15:15 GMT), just a few minutes after the event began.
The suspect is believed to have shot attendees from the roof of a camping supply store, using what police described as a high-powered rifle. According to authorities, he had climbed onto the roof via an unsecured ladder, which is located in an alley at the rear of the building. Officers secured a perimeter around downtown Highland Park and recovered “evidence of a firearm,” according to local police.
