Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III has been taken into custody in connection with the deadly July Fourth parade Highland Park mass shooting that killed six people and injured 38 others in suburban Chicago.
Cops apprehended him on Monday shortly before 7 p.m. local time following a short pursuit. Authorities have yet to announce charges, but police identified Crimo as a “person of interest.”
“This individual is believed to have been responsible for what happened,” said Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli as per USA Today. Covelli confirmed a “significant amount of digital evidence” helped lead authorities to Crimo.
Further details have emerged about Crimo, an aspiring rapper who went by the name “Awake.” According to NBC, his numerous social media profiles include posts glorifying mass shootings and public executions.
Highland Park Mass Shooting Suspect Had A History of Glorifying Mass Murder
His recent music videos include scenes of mass murder, with one reportedly depicting him getting shot by police after committing mass murder at a school. The YouTube channel is now inaccessible.
He was reportedly well known on Discord, where he had his own server. The most recent post in March was a tribute to Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania state treasurer who shot and killed himself on live television in the late 1980s. The caption reads, “I wish politicians still gave speeches like this.”
Reports state Crimo would regularly post about suicide, death, and violent images of murder, most recently sharing a video of a beheading.
He took an interest in Former President Donald Trump. In January 2021, he shared a video that he apparently recorded from a pro-Trump protest. Another post, captioned with the word “spam,” shows Crimo draped in a Trump flag.
A former Highland Park High School classmate of Crimo’s said he used to rap when they were in school, and he was releasing music back then. “He always seemed a little off,” said Mark Heymann, 22. “but I can’t describe it much beyond that.”
Reports suggest he came from a family who kept to themselves. His father, who reportedly owned convenience stores, ran for mayor of Highland Park in 2019 but did not win. A neighbor recalled a conversation with him in which he described his son as having “emotional issues.”
This story is developing.
