July 5, 2022 -- The City of Highland Park and Lake County Major Crimes Task Force hosted an update briefing on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 regarding the ongoing investigation into the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July Parade. Investigators’ hard work and the public’s tips during the last 24-hours yielded valuable information. The Highland Park Police, Major Crime Task Force Investigators, State Police, ATF, and the FBI are all partnering on this effort.
As part of the investigation, investigators have spoken with numerous witnesses, some of the survivors, reviewed clips of videos taken from the scene by cellphone and fixed cameras, and conducted follow-ups.
Based on this information, investigators believe that the person of interest in the case, Robert Crimo III, planned this violent attack for several weeks. He brought a high-powered rifle to the parade, and accessed the roof of a business via an affixed exterior fire escape. The rifle was purchased in Illinois and appears to have been purchased legally by Crimo based upon information available at this time.
Crimo was dressed in woman’s clothing during the attack and we believe he did this to conceal his identity and facial tattoos. During the attack we believe Crimo fired more than 70 rounds into the crowd of innocent people on the parade route.
Following the attack, Crimo dropped the rifle and blended in with the crowd. He then walked to his mother’s home and borrowed her vehicle. An alert member of the public saw Crimo driving on Route 41 and called 911. A North Chicago Police Officer located Crimo’s car, awaited backup and initiated a traffic stop. Crimo was taken into custody in the area of Route 41 and Westleigh in Lake Forest. Another rifle was located in Crimo’s vehicle.
More than 30 people were injured during the attack, not including the six who lost their lives. Crimo remains in custody at this time and all indications point to Crimo acting on his own. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is working closely with investigators to determine.
The City anticipates that another press briefing will be held at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, July 5.