Robert Bobby Crimo Highland Park shooting suspect dressed as a woman, fired off 70 rounds and nearly got away with his plan – except for one thing. Had planned attack weeks in advance.
He had planned for weeks… The Highland Park shooting suspect who fatally picked off attendees during a 4th of July parade dressed in women’s clothing to disguise himself and to aid his escape, Chicago authorities revealed on Tuesday.
Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, 22, is accused of killing 6 parade-goers and injuring at least 30 others after he allegedly climbed onto the roof of a business in the affluent Chicago suburb on Monday and firing off 70 rounds from a an AR-15-style rifle.
He then ditched the legally purchased weapon on the roof so he could blend in with the crowd as he fled the chaotic scene, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli told during a Tuesday news briefing.
‘Crimo was dressed in women’s clothing and investigators do believe he did this to conceal his facial tattoos and his identity,’ Covelli said. ‘He was seen on video camera in women’s clothing.’
He may have even donned a hairpiece to complete his disguise, the official said. ‘A wig is not out of the question,’ Covelli added.
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The twisted cover was designed to make it appear ‘almost as if he was an innocent spectator himself,’ Covelli stated. ‘He wore that in an attempt to conceal himself.’
Of further disconcert, the official said Bobby Crimo had planned Monday’s attack weeks in advance.
In what was probably the gunman’s undoing, believing he would not be tied to his real identity, Crimo immediately following the shooting went to his mother’s home nearby and using her car to flee the area, authorities said.
He remained on the loose for hours after the massacre but was arrested by police Monday night when a bystanders spotted his vehicle and alerted 911.
Cops found another rifle in the suspect’s car and more firearms in his apartment in nearby Highwood after he was eventually taken into custody, authorities said.
Authorities said Crimo had purchased the weapons locally — and legally.
Charges were expected to be filed against Crimo in connection to the mass shooting on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
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‘We do believe Crimo pre-planned this attack for several weeks,’ Covelli said, adding that investigators were still trying to determine a motive.
‘Investigators … have been in discussions with him. I don’t have anything to say about motivation thus far because it hasn’t been provided.’
‘We have no indication to suggest at this point that it was racially motivated, motivated by religion,’ Covelli added.
Of note, Monday’s 4th of July parade would have given the gunman more cover, more targets to shoot at along with the irony of gunning down fellow suburbanites celebrating Independence Day, while he languished…
