Accused in Fourth of July mass killing contemplated 2nd shooting, police say

The man charged with killing seven people at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop and then fled to a neighbouring state, where he contemplated shooting up an event there, authorities said Wednesday.

The accused turned back to Illinois, where he was later arrested, after deciding he was not prepared to pull off a shooting in the Madison area of Wisconsin, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesperson Christopher Covelli said at a news conference following a hearing where the 21-year-old man was denied bond.

Speaking in court, Lake County assistant state attorney Ben Dillon said that the gunman “looked down his sights, aimed” and fired at people across the street, killing seven and wounding more than two dozen. He left the shells of 83 bullets and three ammunition magazines on the rooftop.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said he planned to bring attempted murder and aggravated battery charges for each person who was hurt.

“There will be many, many more charges coming,” he said at a news conference, estimating that those charges would be announced later this month.

If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, he would receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Public offender assigned 

The accused, Robert Crimo III, wore a black long-sleeve shirt as he appeared in court by video. As the prosecutor described the shooting, he said little besides telling the judge that he did not have a lawyer.

On Tuesday, Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based lawyer, said he would represent Crimo and that he intended to enter a not guilty plea to all charges. But Durkin told the court Wednesday that he had a conflict of interest with the case. Crimo has been assigned a public defender.

Rinehart also left open the possibility of charging Crimo’s parents, telling reporters that he “doesn’t want to answer” that question right now as the investigation continues.

Steve Greenberg, the lawyer for Crimo’s parents, told The Associated Press that they aren’t concerned about being charged with anything related to their son’s case.

The parade shooting left another U.S. community — this time the affluent Highland Park, home to about 30,000, near the Lake Michigan shore — reeling. Hundreds of marchers, parents and children fled in a panic.

Some of the wounded remain in critical condition, Covelli said, noting the death toll could still rise. Already, the deaths from the shooting have left a two-year-old boy without parents, families mourning the loss of beloved grandparents and a synagogue grieving the death of a congregant who for decades had also worked on the staff.

Firearms bought after suicide threat: police

Questions also arose about how the suspect could have skirted Illinois’s relatively strict gun laws to legally purchase five weapons, including the high-powered rifle used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide.

WATCH | Accused gunman confessed, police say: 

Man charged in Highland Park shooting confessed in police interview: authorities

Lake County, Ill., prosecutors revealed in a court appearance Thursday that the 21-year-old man charged with seven counts of murder in the Highland Park shooting confessed during his police interview.

Police went to the home in September 2019 following a call from a family member who said Crimo was threatening “to kill everyone” there. Covelli said police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no sign he had any guns at the time.

Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by the suspect, Covelli said.

Crimo legally purchased the rifle that police say was used in the attack in Illinois within the past year, according to Covelli. In all, police said, he purchased five firearms, which were recovered by officers at his father’s home.

Illinois state police, who issue gun owners’ licences, said Crimo applied for a licence in December 2019, when he was 19. His father sponsored his application.

At the time, “there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” and deny the application, state police said in a statement.

PHOTOS | Community gathers for vigil:

Investigators who have interrogated the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive or found any indication that he targeted victims by race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said.

At the Fourth of July parade, the shots were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of revellers fled in terror. A day later, baby strollers, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked parade goers remained inside a wide police perimeter. Outside the police tape, some residents drove up to collect blankets and chairs they abandoned.

The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day, including two of the victims who died, 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting his family in Illinois from Mexico, and 63-year-old teacher Jacki Sundheim.

Nine people, ranging from 14 to 70, remained hospitalized Tuesday, hospital officials said.

The gunman initially evaded capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, Covelli said.

A police officer pulled over Crimo north of the shooting scene several hours after police released his photo and warned that he was likely armed and dangerous, said Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen.

In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association quickly challenged the liberal suburb’s stance. The legal fight ended at the U.S. Supreme Court’s doorstep in 2015, when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburb’s restrictions remain in place.

WATCH | Had history of mental health problems, police say:

Police aware of previous mental health incidents with parade shooting suspect

The Highland Park Police Department describe two separate incidents in 2019 where they were made aware of suicidal and potentially violent intentions from the alleged gunman in the deadly mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb.

Under Illinois law, gun purchases can be denied to people convicted of felonies, addicted to narcotics or those deemed capable of harming themselves or others. But under the law, who that last provision applies to must be decided by “a court, board, commission or other legal authority.”

Illinois has a so-called red flag law designed to stop dangerous people before they kill, but it requires family members, relatives, roommates or police to ask a judge to order guns seized.

Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting dozens of videos and songs on social media, some ominous and violent.

Federal agents were reviewing Crimo’s online profiles, and a preliminary examination of his internet history indicated that he had researched mass killings and had downloaded multiple photos depicting violent acts, a law enforcement official said.