Highland Park parade shooting | |
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Part of mass shootings in the United States | |
Location | Central Ave. and 2nd St. in Highland Park, Illinois, U.S. |
Coordinates | 42°11′06″N 87°48′04″W / 42.18500°N 87.80111°WCoordinates: 42°11′06″N 87°48′04″W / 42.18500°N 87.80111°W |
Date | July 4, 2022 10:14 a.m. (CDT (UTC–5)) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
Weapons | Smith & Wesson M&P15 |
Deaths | 7 |
Injured | 46 |
Motive | Under investigation |
Accused | Robert Eugene Crimo III |
Charges | First-degree murder (7 counts) |
On July 4, 2022, a mass shooting took place during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, United States. The shooting occurred at 10:14 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00), roughly 15 minutes after the parade had started. Seven people died, and 46 others were wounded by gunfire or injured in the ensuing panic.
Authorities apprehended Robert Eugene Crimo III eight hours after the shooting and charged him the next day with seven counts of first-degree murder.
Highland Park is an affluent suburb community of about 30,000,[1] located in Lake County, Illinois, United States, 25 miles (40 km) north of Chicago, in the area's North Shore. The city held a Fourth of July celebration, which included a parade that began at 10:00 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00). The parade started at the intersection of Laurel and St. Johns Avenues, headed north on St. Johns Avenue, then turned west on Central Avenue, and continued to Sunset Park.[2]
The shooting began at 10:14 a.m. in downtown Highland Park, with the shooter firing a rifle from the rooftop of the Ross Cosmetics building,[3] a local store on the northwest corner of Central Avenue and 2nd Street.[4] The gunman had gained access to the elevated position by using an unsecured ladder attached to the building.[5]
The shooter used a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semiautomatic rifle with three 30-round magazines.[6] A total of 83 shots were fired.[7] Victims included spectators and some of those marching in the parade.[5] At least one parade attendee provided medical treatment to those injured, before first responders arrived.[8]
Footage shot by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet, a spectator at the parade,[9] shows a participating Klezmer band on a float continuing to play as gunfire began, and many attendees running while screaming. Additional photos of the scene were captured by attendees and posted to social media.[10]
Over 100 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the shooting.[11] The shooter ceased firing as law enforcement officers approached the building, fleeing the scene and evading immediate capture.[11]
After the shooting, he abandoned the rifle he had used, which was recovered at the scene.[12] He then drove to the Madison, Wisconsin area, with a Kel-Tec SUB-2000 semiautomatic rifle in his car. He considered attacking another Independence Day celebration in Madison, but decided against it.[13][14] He discarded his cell phone in Middleton, Wisconsin.[13][14]
Seven people were killed[15] and 46 others were injured during the attack.[15] Five of the victims—all adults—died at the scene, and two died at the hospital.[5][16]
According to the Los Angeles Times, "A 2020 study by Brandeis University and the University of Chicago found Highland Park had among the Chicago region's highest concentrations of Jewish residents. Neighboring Highwood is home to a large Hispanic population, and Mexican authorities have said two men killed at the parade were natives of the country."[17] One of these was a 78-year-old Mexican grandfather who was visiting family in the area, and another was a 69-year-old man.[17][18][19] Two Jewish victims that were killed were a 63-year-old woman and an 88-year-old grandfather.[17][19][20][21]
Of the others that were killed, two victims were a married couple in their 30s who attended the parade with their two-year-old son, who survived, and was found wandering unaccompanied.[7][22][23] Another was a 64-year-old mother of two.[17][24]
The shooting victims ranged in age from 8 to 85 years old.[25] Twenty-five of the injured suffered gunshot wounds, while 11 others were injured as the result of the panicked evacuation of the parade route.[8][26] Highland Park Hospital reported that they were treating 26 people after the shooting, 25 being gunshot wounds, with five later transferred to Evanston Hospital.[27] Additionally, four of the injured were transported to Glenbrook Hospital, and several others were taken to hospitals outside of the Northshore University Medical System network.[28]
Highland Park authorities have collaborated with the FBI, Illinois State Police, and Chicago Police during an ongoing investigation.[29][30] The police believe only one shooter was involved and the shooting was described as appearing to be "very random (and) very intentional".[31]
Robert Eugene Crimo III was apprehended in Illinois at approximately 6:30 p.m., over eight hours after the shooting began.[32] Crimo was taken into custody following a brief pursuit after his damaged 2010 Honda Fit was stopped by North Chicago Police and Lake County Sheriff units at the intersection of U.S Route 41 and Westleigh Road in Lake Forest.[33][34] Subsequently, Crimo's home in Highwood, a small suburb just north of Highland Park, was raided by FBI agents.[35]
Lake County police said that Crimo planned the attack for weeks, and that he dressed in women's clothing and hid his facial tattoos in order to flee the scene after the attack, among panicked parade-goers.[36] Mayor of Highland Park Nancy Rotering said that she believed that the weapon used in the crime was obtained legally.[37]
Crimo's motives remain unclear.[38][39] London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue said it appeared Crimo’s extensive online presence contained posts that gravitated toward far-right and neo-fascist ideologies.[30] A Highland Park rabbi stated that, three months before the shooting, Crimo had entered Central Avenue Synagogue, a Chabad House, during the Passover seder and was asked to leave. The Chabad House is located two blocks from where the July 4 shooting occurred.[38][40][41][42] However, investigators have determined no racial or religious motivation for the shooting.[30][37][39] Michael Masters, National Director and CEO of the Secure Community Network headquartered in Chicago, said, "Nothing overtly we have identified in his social media posts says this was an antisemitic attack, but we are coordinating with law enforcement. Apparently on social media, there are some indications he was ideating around the Fourth of July for some period of time, which would indicate this was not an attack on one particular community."[40]
Authorities apprehended 21-year-old Robert Eugene Crimo III eight hours after the shooting.[32][43] Crimo used to attend Highland Park High School and has performed under the stage name "Awake the Rapper".[44][45] Recent music videos by him on YouTube depicted mass shootings and characters being shot by police. One video was accompanied by the narration "I need to just do it. It is my destiny."[46] The account is no longer available. Crimo frequently visited an online message board that discussed graphic depictions of death. He posted a video of a beheading the week before the shooting. Crimo also had his own Discord server, which was invaded by 4chan members after the shooting and has since been shut down.[44] Stephen Harrison of Slate speculated he had used a single-purpose account on the English Wikipedia in an unsuccessful attempt to create an article about himself in 2017 and 2018. An account with the same username created articles about Crimo on the FANDOM sites Wikitubia and the Rap Wiki.[47]
Law enforcement identified two prior encounters with Crimo: a 911 call in April 2019 reporting that he attempted to commit suicide and a September 2019 incident regarding alleged threats by Crimo to a family member.[48] According to law enforcement, mental health professionals handled the suicide matter.[46] In September 2019, police seized 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword from Crimo after a family member reported to the police that he planned to "kill everyone". A “clear and present danger report” was filed with the Illinois State Police, but Crimo was not charged with a crime at the time.[49][50] In December that year, he applied for a Firearm Owner Identification card. It was sponsored by his father due to his young age and approved the following January.[49] On either occasion, Highland Park police could have invoked Illinois' red flag law, which would have allowed them to seek a restraining order preventing Crimo from buying guns for up to six months.[51] However, they did not pursue this option. Just four months later, in January 2020, Illinois State Police approved Crimo for a firearms permit, and he passed four background checks when buying firearms in 2020 and 2021.[51]
Crimo was charged on July 5 with seven counts of first-degree murder.[7][43][52] The next day, he confessed to the shooting. Lake County Sheriff's Office said that he is being held without bail.[53][54] A preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 28, 2022.[55]
Multiple Chicago suburbs canceled their Fourth of July celebrations after the shooting.[56][57][58] Six Flags Great America in Gurnee continued operating but canceled its fireworks show.[57] The Chicago White Sox announced they would continue to play their baseball game against the Minnesota Twins but canceled their fireworks show.[59]
School districts in the surrounding neighborhoods said counseling service would be made available at Highland Park High School for "students, staff and community members."[60]
The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park announced the cancellation of all concerts and events through July 10. "This decision was made after careful consideration and in close consultation with many stakeholders, including neighbors, public officials, artists, and patrons. Our shared hope is that the reduced activity—both within the park and in the neighborhoods surrounding Ravinia—will give the community the space and quiet to reflect and heal."[61]
A GoFundMe campaign was established to benefit the two-year-old who was orphaned. By July 7, nearly $3 million had been raised.[62]
Crimo's parents have released a statement through their attorney, stating: "We are all mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and this is a terrible tragedy for many families, the victims, the paradegoers, the community, and our own. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to everybody."[46]
President Joe Biden stated that he was shocked by the "senseless" gun violence and has offered the "full support of the Federal government" to the affected communities.[60] He also called for more gun control measures.[63][64] Vice President Kamala Harris made a similar statement.[46]
Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker called the perpetrator a "monster" and stated that his office had made available all state resources to the community and was coordinating with local officials.[65] He called for better gun control as well.[60] Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin called the attack "horrific" and "senseless". Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey advocated for "prayer and action to address rampant crime and mental health issues," calling the attack a "horrific tragedy".[66] Bailey later apologized after saying, "...so let's pray for justice to prevail, and then let's move on and let's celebrate..." about 90 minutes after the shooting.[67]
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said the community had been shaken to its core.[65] Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement about the shooting, calling it devastating and that she had been in contact with Mayor Rotering and offered the city's support with the Chicago Police Department providing assistance. She also stated the city grieved with the families of victims and the injured.[68]
Illinois State Senator Julie Morrison and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider were in attendance and expressed their condolences. Morrison expressed a sentiment that she would never want to be in another parade. Schneider stated he and his campaign team were safe and highlighted his commitment to make the community a safer place.[65][69][70]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement on Twitter condemning the shooting the day after it had occurred, stating: "my heart breaks for the people of Highland Park, Illinois, who wanted nothing more than to celebrate their country this morning – but instead had their lives change forever. To the injured, and to the loved ones of the victims: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts."[71]
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