A gunman on a rooftop opened fire on a United States Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago on Monday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens, police have said.
Authorities said 22-year-old Robert E Crimo III was named as a person of interest in the shooting at Highland Park and was taken into police custody on Monday evening after an hours-long manhunt.
The attack occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration.
Robert “Bobby” Crimo III posted online several music videos he apparently made that featured ominous sounding lyrics and animated scenes of gun violence.
In one video titled “Are you Awake,” Crimo is seen with multicolored hair and face tattoos and is narrating, “I need to just do it. It is my destiny.”
The video shows a cartoon animation of a stick-figure man — who resembles Crimo — in tactical gear carrying out an attack with a rifle.
In another video titled “Toy Soldier,” a similar stick-figure cartoon character resembling Crimo is depicted lying face down on the floor in a pool of his own blood, surrounded by police officers with their guns drawn.
Crimo, who calls himself “Awake the Rapper,” posted his music on several major streaming outlets and on a personal website. The Facebook and Twitter accounts believed to belong to Crimo were taken down after he was named as a person of interest in the mass shooting that killed at least six people. His Facebook profile photo showed him wearing a helmet with a camera mount, a face cover and a multicolored jacket.
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