HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois – A man arrested in connection with a deadly attack on a 4th of July celebration in the Chicago area that left six people dead appears to be an aspiring rapper who posted the video. violence describes disturbing acts of violence.
Authorities spent frantic hours Monday looking for 22-year-old Robert “Bobby ” E. Crimo III, and arrested him shortly before 7 p.m. local time after a brief chase a few days later. fired about 5 miles away. No fees have been announced.
North Chicago police spotted and pursued Crimo in nearby Lake Forest, and “the subject was apprehended without incident,” Highland Park Sheriff Lou Jogmen said. “This doesn’t necessarily mean this is over but we are certainly encouraged that we have someone interested.”
Television news video showed a silver Honda Fit – which authorities said Crimo was driving – stopping at an intersection, doors open. Police say Crimo is likely armed and dangerous
“This person is believed to have been responsible for what happened,” Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said in a statement about Crimo’s arrest. Covelli said “a substantial amount of digital evidence” helped lead investigators to Crimo.
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Who is Robert Crimo?
Authorities said the shooter opened fire from a rooftop into the crowd around 10 a.m. and they recovered a rifle from the scene. They did not initially call Crimo a suspect, instead describing him as a “person of interest,” but said the FBI was offering a reward for information.
A rapper of the same name in Chicago and who fits the description given by the police, including the tattoo on his face, performs under the name “Awake the Rapper” and has previously posted to YouTube and other platforms many times. The video features violent imagery, including a man with a rifle shooting people.
Another video he posted shows a cartoon character carrying a rifle then lying face down in a pool of blood, surrounded by police officers. The same artist appears to have posted a newspaper clipping photo on his bedroom wall referring to the death of Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated President John F. Kennedy with an assault rifle from a remote location. upper point.
A two-story home listed as Crimo’s address was surrounded by law enforcement vehicles Monday night. Several police vehicles and at least one armored vehicle were stationed outside, and journalists were kept away from the area. Neighbors said Crimo’s father, Bob Crimo, owned the nearby Bob’s Pantry & Deli restaurant.
Violent videos may involve man caught in parade shooting
Violent videos that appeared to be connected to Crimo were removed from YouTube within hours of the shooting. The account that posted the video has been suspended, but YouTube has not returned a request for comment on USA TODAY’s channel.
In the video for the song “Out of This World” by Awake the Rapper, the drawings depict a gunman wearing a tactical vest and carrying a semi-automatic rifle, surrounded by corpses On the ground. When he took aim, a faceless figure raised his hand in surrender. The gunman wears a helmet with a Go-Pro-style camera attached. Other images of the characters appear to be suffering as the voice raps, “I just want to scream. Sometimes it feels like I’m living in a dream.”
In another video posted by the same account, quick-cut, scribbled images of faceless characters are interspersed with clips of a young man sitting on a bed, wearing a cap. The drawn images then switch to showing a character holding a semi-automatic rifle. Another faceless figure appears to have blood emerging from its chest.
A young man who appeared with the same ball cap then appeared in a new outfit. He’s in a classroom, with a blackboard on the wall, a row of lockers, and a television mounted high in the doorway. An American flag was hanging from a pole, and the man was wearing a helmet and tactical vest.
Quick-cut video clips repeat, but classroom scenes change perspective. One photo shows the room from his perspective – but it’s only large enough for two sets of school-style desks side by side, in three rows, for a total of six. It’s not clear whether the context is an actual class or an elaborately staged one.
Next, the helmeted figure is in the locker. He then shows up without his tactical gear, simply in the ball hat again. Next, in tactical gear again, he knelt on the pile of papers on the floor, glued to his eyes. In another shot, the helmeted character sits at one of the desks, on a notepad in front of him. A snake tattoo is visible on his nape.
Contributors: Andrea Ball, Josh Susong, USA TODAY