Fourth of July parade shooting: Suspect in custody after 6 killed, dozens injured in Illinois

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Six people died and at least 30 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire on a Fourth of July parade from a rooftop in a Chicago suburb Monday, sending hundreds of revelers scrambling for safety, police said.

>> Read more trending news

According to the Chicago Sun-Times and WGN-TV, the shooting occurred shortly after 10 a.m. CDT at the holiday parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

Here are the latest updates:

Update 8:03 p.m. EDT July 4: A person of interest sought in connection with a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, was taken into custody without incident Monday night, concluding a nearly nine-hour manhunt, WMAQ-TV reported.

Highland Park Chief of Police Lou Jogmen confirmed in a news conference just before 8 p.m. EDT that Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III, 21, was taken into custody after a North Chicago police officer spotted Crimo’s silver 2019 Honda Fit.

A brief chase ensued, but Crimo stopped the vehicle on his own and was taken into custody, WMAQ-TV reported.

Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, said authorities were using the terms “suspect” and “person of interest” interchangeably and that they believe Crimo was responsible for the shooting, though he has not been charged, the Sun-Times reported.

Authorities initially said he was 22, but an FBI bulletin and Crimo’s social media said he was 21.

Update 7:14 p.m. EDT July 4: Dr. Brigham Temple, medical director of emergency preparedness for NorthShore University Health Center, confirmed to The Associated Press that the Highland Park hospital received 26 patients after the attack, noting all but one suffered gunshot wounds. Their ages ranged from 8 to 85, and Temple estimated that four or five patients were children.

He said 19 of the wounded were treated and released, others were transferred to other hospitals and two patients remained at NorthShore in stable condition as of 7 p.m. EDT, the AP reported.

Meanwhile, Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, confirmed via Twitter late Monday that one Mexican national was killed in the parade massacre and two others were among the wounded, the news outlet reported.

Update 7:05 p.m. EDT July 4: The person of interest being sought in connection with the mass shooting, Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III, is a North Shore native, according to WGN.

A resident of the Highwood neighborhood told the TV station that Crimo III lives there with his family, and WGN confirmed that the FBI is at the family’s home.

Update 6:15 p.m. EDT July 4: Highland Park confirmed to the Sun-Times just before 6 p.m. EDT that “investigative leads” helped them identify Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III as a person of interest in the shooting. Twenty-two-year-old Crimo was believed to be driving a silver 2019 Honda Fit with the license plate number DM 80653.

The Highland Park Police Department released the following photo of Crimo:

Update 5:37 p.m. EDT July 4: Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, told the Sun-Times that it appeared the gunman used an “unsecured” ladder to gain access to the rooftop from which the shots were fired.

In addition, he said drones and dogs have been deployed to search for the suspect, noting that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is currently examining the ownership history of the “high-powered” rifle found at the scene, the newspaper reported.

Authorities also confirmed that all six victims killed have been identified, but their identities are not being released publicly, pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, fire officials confirmed to the Sun-Times that they transported 23 people to hospitals, including a child who was critically wounded. An undetermined number of other victims sought medical care on their own, the newspaper reported.

Update 5:24 p.m. EDT July 4: Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, said during a news conference that “several of the deceased victims” died at the scene and one died a short while later at an area hospital.

No other details about the victims or wounded have been released, police confirmed to The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek confirmed to the AP that the five people killed at the parade were adults, but she does not have information on the sixth victim.

Update 5:02 p.m. EDT July 4: NorthShore University Health System confirmed to the Sun-Times that 26 people were taken to Highland Park Hospital while five were transported to Evanston Hospital. Hospital officials confirmed that the “vast majority” of patients accepted were being treated for gunshot wounds but some “sustained injuries as a result of the ensuing chaos at the parade.”

“I heard 20 to 25 shots, which were in rapid succession,” witness Miles Zaremski, a Highland Park resident, told the newspaper.

Update 3:25 p.m. EDT July 4: Authorities clarified in an afternoon news conference that the gunman, who has not been apprehended, used “a high-powered rifle” from the rooftop of a building during Monday’s shooting, the Sun-Times reported.

“He was very discreet and very difficult to see,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Christopher Covelli told reporters shortly after 2 p.m. CDT.

Covelli described the shooting as “random” but “intentional,” according to the Sun-Times.

Authorities are encouraging anyone with information about the gunman or video from the incident to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the newspaper reported.

Update 3:03 p.m. EDT July 4: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker released the following statement Monday afternoon via Twitter:

Update 1:58 p.m. EDT July 4: The death toll has risen to six, Highland Park police said in a news conference Monday afternoon.

According to WGN and the Chicago Sun-Times, about two dozen others were taken to area hospitals after the incident, said police, who added that investigators recovered a rifle from the scene.

Police are still searching for the suspected gunman, described as an 18- to 20-year-old white man with a small build, long black hair and a blue or white T-shirt, officials said.

Police believe that the shooter opened fire from a rooptop, according to The Associated Press.

Update 1:51 p.m. EDT July 4: Highland Park police said five people were killed and 19 were hospitalized after the shooting, according to The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear whether the hospitalization numbers included the fatalities, the news agency reported.

Update 12:57 p.m. EDT July 4: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tweeted shortly before noon Monday that he and his staff are “closely monitoring” the incident in Highland Park.

“State police are on the scene and we have made all state resources available to the community,” he wrote. “We will continue working with local officials to help those affected.”

Update 12:42 p.m. EDT July 4: U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, tweeted that he was at the parade when gunfire erupted.

“Today a shooter struck in Highland Park during the Independence Day parade,” he wrote. “My campaign team and I were gathering at the start of the parade when the shooting started. My team and I are safe and secure. We are monitoring the situation closely and in touch with the mayor.”

He added that he is “hearing of loss of life and others injured” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

Original report: The suspected shooter, considered by authorities to be armed and dangerous, remained at large nearly seven hours later, multiple news outlets reported.

The suspect – described as a white male, between the age of 18 and 20, with long black hair, a small build and wearing a blue T-shirt – is believed to have fired a “high-powered rifle” from a concealed spot on a rooftop, WGN reported.

A Chicago suburb has canceled its Fourth of July festivities after police responded to reports of an active shooter at a holiday parade.

According to WBBM-TV, witnesses at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade said they heard loud bangs that sounded like gunfire about 10 a.m. CDT. Sources told WLS-TV that multiple people were struck by gunfire.

The city took to Facebook shortly before 11 a.m. CDT to say police “are responding to an incident” downtown.

“Fourth Fest has been canceled,” the post read. “Please avoid downtown Highland Park. More information will be shared as it becomes available.”

Illinois State Police later tweeted that officers are assisting Highland Park police with an active shooter situation.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

0 of 14

0 of 26

©2022 Cox Media Group