Highland Park parade shooting suspect Robert Crimo wore women’s clothing: cops

The shooter who allegedly opened hearth on the Highland Park Fourth of July parade was dressed in women’s apparel to disguise himself and help his escape — then ran dwelling to his mother, police explained Tuesday.

Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III, 21, is accused of killing seven innocent parade-goers and injuring far more than 40 others immediately after he allegedly climbed on to the roof of a business in the rich Chicago suburb on Monday and fired off 70 rounds from a higher-driven AR-15-design and style rifle.

He then wrapped the legally purchased weapon in a purple blanket and ditched it behind the constructing so he could blend in with the group as he fled during the chaos, authorities stated.

“Crimo was dressed in women’s clothes and investigators do think he did this to conceal his facial tattoos and his identity,” Lake County Big Crime Undertaking Pressure spokesman Christopher Covelli told a news briefing. “He was witnessed on video clip digicam in women’s clothing.”

He might have even donned a hairpiece to total his disguise, authorities mentioned.

“A wig is not out of the query,” Covelli said.

The twisted cover was designed to make it seem “almost as if he was an innocent spectator himself,’’ Covelli stated. “He wore that in an try to conceal himself.’’

Crimo, an newbie rapper, immediately went to his mother’s property close by and “borrowed” her car to flee, authorities stated. There was no sign he instructed his mom what he’d just completed, Covelli extra.

He remained on the loose for hrs following the mass shooting but was nabbed by law enforcement Monday night — about 5 miles from the scene — when a bystander spotted his car and alerted 911.

Cops found a further rifle in the suspect’s motor vehicle and 3 firearms — “some pistols and feasible a shotgun” — in his condominium in close by Highwood immediately after he was inevitably taken into custody, authorities stated.

Authorities stated Crimo experienced purchased the weapons domestically and legally in 2020 and 2021 — despite cops becoming known as to his home two times in 2019 immediately after he threatened suicide and to “kill everyone” in his household.

When cops responded to the suspect’s dwelling in September 2019, officers seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but reported there was no signal he had any guns at the time.

The weapon applied in the parade massacre was “similar to an AR-15” that shot “high velocity rounds,” Covelli claimed.

No fees have but been filed in opposition to Crimo but an update was expected Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

“We do think Crimo pre-planned this attack for various months,” Covelli claimed, introducing that investigators ended up however trying to figure out a motive.

“Investigators … have been in discussions with him. I do not have just about anything to say about determination so significantly due to the fact it hasn’t been supplied.”

“We have no indicator to propose at this point that it was racially inspired, enthusiastic by faith,” Covelli extra.

Authorities are examining disturbing social media posts Crimo experienced posted on-line.

Highland Park people informed CNN they quickly regarded Crimo when cops 1st produced his image because of his distinctive tattoos and colored hair.

Eric Januszewski claimed he experienced just lately operate into Crimo and commented that his facial tattoos had been “quite a commitment.”

Crimo agreed and told Januszewski to test out his SoundCloud account, he mentioned.

More reporting by Katie Donlevy