Alleged shooter in the USA identified based on weapon – crime prepared for weeks
Deaths and injuries from gunfire at Independence Day parade
Several people were killed and injured by gunfire during a US Independence Day parade near Chicago. Fourth of July celebrations in the town of Highland Park north of Chicago and several surrounding communities in the US state of Illinois have been put on hold.
A shooter killed at least six people north of Chicago, according to initial reports. The alleged perpetrator has now been arrested. He is said to have tried his hand as a rapper, uploaded violent videos and prepared his act for weeks.
DAccording to media reports, the suspected gunman at a holiday parade in the United States has been identified by the weapon. Investigators found DNA evidence on the gun that the suspect left behind at the scene in Highland Park, north of Chicago, Illinois, US broadcaster NBC News reported.
About ten hours after the crime, the young man was arrested in the evening (local time) after a chase at an intersection. It’s the 22 year old Robert E. Crimo III. being Father ran according to local media 2019 as mayor of the town.
According to the investigators, the suspect had been preparing his bloody deed for weeks. The 22-year-old apparently obtained a high-impact rifle legally and disguised himself as a woman to hide his identity and make it easier to flee, a police spokesman said on Tuesday.
He is said to have fired the shots indiscriminately into the crowd from a building roof. In addition to the six fatalities, there were around two dozen injured who were taken to hospitals, according to police. A possible motive for the act was initially unclear.
The suspect is said to have previously published music videos with scenes of gun violence online. The social media accounts believed to be linked to the man have since been blocked.
“It was just chaotic”
According to news agencies, archived versions show videos of the alleged shooter, who, according to US media, was trying to make a name for himself as a rapper. The videos were made under the pseudonym “Awake the Rapper” released. A video uploaded about a year ago shows a comic strip in which several scenes of shootings can be seen. At one point, a gunman lies on the ground in a pool of blood, surrounded by police officers with drawn guns.
Another video shows a man with brightly colored hair and several tattoos, including on his face. He can be seen in a room that is supposed to represent a classroom. Towards the end of the video, he poses in front of a blackboard with a protective helmet and a type of combat vest. He holds up a US flag.
Several US media reported on Monday (local time) about the videos after the alleged shooter was caught by the police hours after the crime. Investigators had previously published a mug shot of the suspect on Twitter. Authorities initially gave his age as 22, but an FBI bulletin later said he was 21.
A eyewitness reportedhow, in a panic, he hid his five-year-old son in a trash can. An eyewitness named Miles Zaremski told CNN that he saw several injured and lifeless people lying on the ground. “It was heartbreaking.” He heard around 30 pops. People fled the parade. “It was just messy.”
An aerial view of the parade site in Highland Park
Source: via REUTERS
The US has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. At the end of May, an 18-year-old gunman massacred a Texas elementary school. He had killed 19 children and 2 teachers in the small town of Uvalde at the end of May before he was shot dead by the police. The crime had rekindled the discussion about stricter gun laws in the United States. Firearms are relatively easy to obtain in the United States.
Biden is shocked
US President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill were “shocked by senseless gun violence that has once again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day.” He instructed the federal security authorities to support the local police in their search for the perpetrator, who was still at large hours after the shots were fired.
Congressman Brad Schneider, who wanted to attend Monday’s parade, wrote on Twitter: “My condolences to the family and loved ones.” He pledged to do everything “to make our children, our cities and our country safer.” Enough is enough!”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said, “There are no words for the kind of monster that lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community.”
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