Authorities are now publicly releasing more details surrounding the fatal Highland Park, Illinois, mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade — including evidence that the shooting had been planned and premeditated for weeks in advance, the revelations that more than 70 rounds were ultimately fired from the suspect’s high-powered rifle, and information indicating that the suspected shooter wore women’s clothing in an attempt to blend in with the parade crowd and flee the scene, according to new reporting on the matter from ABC News.
Police described the catastrophic shooting that claimed six lives and injured at least 30 more as a “random act of violence” by 21-year-old suspect, Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, who allegedly opened fire from the roof of a nearby business, after accessing the building via a fire escape ladder.
Police say Crimo legally purchased the high-powered weapon in the state of IL.
ABC News reports, “Police said Crimo wore women’s clothing during the shooting to apparently allow him to hide his facial tattoos and blend in with the crowd to flee.”
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Authorities said today, “Following the attack Crimo exited the roof, he dropped his rifle and he blended in with the crowd and he escaped. He walked to his mother’s home who lived in the area and he blended right in with everybody else.”
As of now, no motive behind Crimo’s heinous attack has been discovered or revealed.
ABC News reports:
Crimo — who was apprehended Monday evening after an hours-long manhunt — is believed to be linked to social media posts that discuss or depict acts of violence, including shooting people, a law enforcement source briefed on the case told ABC News.
Analysts say Crimo appears to have had an extensive online presence that was littered with signs of hatred, mental health issues and a gravitation toward hard-right and neo-fascist ideologies.”
Read the full report on the matter from ABC News here.
Featured image via City of Highland Park screenshot
