Photo emerges of Robert Crimo disguised in women’s clothes to flee Highland Park shooting

The Highland Park shooting suspect “pre-prepared his attack for several weeks” and wore women’s garments as a disguise so that he could escape the scene of the mass taking pictures the place he had just killed 6 victims, according to regulation enforcement.

Robert Crimo III, a 21-calendar year-outdated regional guy, was arrested on Monday night following an 8-hour manhunt, when he was spotted driving alongside a freeway in Illinois in his mother’s auto.

Lake County Sgt Christopher Covelli said in a press convention on Tuesday that Mr Crimo was captured on online video footage dressed in women’s outfits so that he could blend into the group of panicked parade-goers fleeing from the scene of the massacre.

He claimed he couldn’t ensure if the suspect was also donning a wig at the time.

Sgt Covelli explained that Mr Crimo took an AR-15-design and style rifle to the July 4 parade route in Highland Park in which family members, good friends and local citizens had gathered for Independence Working day celebrations.

The gunman then climbed up a fireplace escape ladder on to the roof of a nearby keep, placing up a sniper situation.

At all over 10.14am – just 14 minutes into the July 4 parade – he opened fireplace, unleashing a hail of extra than 70 rounds of bullets into the group of parade-goers and members underneath, explained officials.

The 21-yr-previous – who officials earlier mistakenly explained was 22 – then climbed down from the roof and hid in simple sight among the the group, strolling residence to his mother’s home.

Sgt Covelli said that there is no indicator that Mr Crimo confided in his mother about what he had just performed and there is also no evidence that any one else was included in the massacre.

The suspect was later on tracked down and arrested on a highway after law enforcement produced his identify and image to the public, primary a passer-by to place him and simply call in a tip.

As very well as the superior-driven rifle utilized to have out the attack – which was remaining behind at the scene – Mr Crimo was also armed with a second rifle within his car or truck when he was captured.

Tale proceeds

A look for of his home has also uncovered a number of other firearms including pistols.

All the firearms were being legally procured throughout various places in the close by area and registered under his name, law enforcement claimed.

Highland Park has a ban on assault rifles, which was place in position by the present-day mayor in 2013.

The motive for the assault is nevertheless unidentified.

Having said that, Sgt Covellio said: “We do feel Crimo pre-planned the assault for numerous months.”

Officials were also questioned about irrespective of whether warning signals may have been skipped, as it has considering that emerged that Mr Crimo posted quite a few disturbing films glorifying violence on the net prior to the attack.

Sgt Covelli mentioned the investigation was however ongoing into the issue.

Mr Crimo, whose father built a unsuccessful bid for mayor of Highland Park but missing to current Mayor Nancy Rottering, is also an newbie rapper who goes by the title Awake the Rapper and has extra than 16,000 listeners a thirty day period on his Spotify web site.

Just one new music video he produced glamourised faculty shootings even though he also shared a video of a beheading on a individual platform.

Inspite of these revelations, his uncle explained toCNN that he experienced seen “no signs” to recommend his reclusive nephew would go on to carry out a mass shooting.

Mr Crimo has not but been charged more than the mass capturing but officers assume to carry expenses later on on Tuesday above the mass taking pictures which remaining 6 victims lifeless.

Sgt Covelli confirmed on Tuesday that all 6 victims had been older people, with none of the wounded young children between the dead.

Five of the victims died at the scene though the sixth succumbed to their accidents immediately after becoming rushed to healthcare facility.

The 1st specifics have begun to arise about the victims with the family members of 76-calendar year-previous grandfather Nicholas Toledo confirming his death on Monday afternoon.

The elderly guy, of twin US and Mexico nationality, applied a wheelchair and was sitting down in it seeing the parade when he was struck by bullets.

Mr Toledo’s granddaughter informed the New York Situations they “were all in shock” and disclosed that her grandfather hadn’t wished to go to the parade but only agreed to go so that he could sign up for in the festivities with his relatives.

A second victim was also identified on Monday night as a devoted member of a area synagogue and married mother-of-one.

Jacki Sundheim was remembered by the North Shore Congregation Israel as a “lifelong” congregant and “cherished” staffer whose “work, kindness and heat touched us all”.

As properly as the six victims killed, 38 persons were being taken to local hospitals for therapy.

By Tuesday early morning, eight individuals have been nonetheless receiving procedure with their disorders presently mysterious.

President Joe Biden condemned the taking pictures and said that it confirmed there was “much much more perform to do” to tackle America’s gun violence – with the attack coming just weeks after 21 students and instructors have been murdered in a mass taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas, and 10 Black individuals have been shot useless in a racist assault in Buffalo, New York.