Parade shooting
tify Crimo as a suspect but said identifying him as a person of interest, sharing his name and other information publicly was a serious step.
The FBI offered an unspecified reward for information leading to Crimo’s location and released an advisory with his photo – he has tattoos on his face and neck.
The house at an address listed for Crimo just blocks from the shooting scene was surrounded by law enforcement vehicles Monday night. Several police cars and at least one armored vehicle were stationed outside.
President Joe Biden said in a statement he and his wife were “shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day.” Biden added that despite the gun safety bill he signed June 25, “there is much more work to do.”
Residents were told to shelter in place during the search for the suspect. Video from the scene showed scores of people running for cover as music continued to play minutes after the parade began at 10 a.m. local time Monday.
“We’re asking everybody to stay indoors,” Lake County Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said. “Stay vigilant right now.”
Covelli said the gunman apparently fired from a rooftop at about 10:14 a.m. after climbing there on an unsecured ladder attached to the building. He also said a high-powered rifle was recovered at the scene.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said the five people killed at the parade were adults but didn’t have information on the sixth victim, who died at a hospital.
Dr. Brigham Temple, medical director for emergency preparedness at NorthShore University HealthSystem, said the facility received 26 patients from the attack and 25 had gunshot wounds,
including four or five children. He added 19 of the injured were treated and released. Temple also said at least 10 other patients were taken to other area hospitals.
SWAT teams ushered spectators out of buildings after they fled the street, Covelli said. Hundreds of federal, state and local officers were involved in the manhunt and investigation, he said. The Justice Department said Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the shooting and the investigation. The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted local authorities.
Highland Park, home to about 30,000 people, is about 25 miles north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. Clothing stores, restaurants and gift shops line the tree-shaded street with brick sidewalks leading into the center of town, where an American flag waved above caution tape and rows of police cars.
Abandoned lawn chairs, wagons and bicycles were scattered along the parade route. Sirens wailed on the 88-degree, overcast day as law enforcement vehicles zipped past residential streets. Curious residents walked along the sidewalks as officers with rifles stood along the edges of a park downtown.
The remainder of Highland Park’s Fourth Fest was canceled, according to Mayor Nancy Rotering. More than 10 surrounding communities also announced cancellations and closures.
Village officials from Glencoe and Glenview noted that although there were “no incidents or direct threats” to the surrounding areas, events were canceled out of caution. Residents were advised to stay indoors.
The Chicago White Sox initially planned for a postgame fireworks show Monday but announced plans to hold a moment of silence instead.
“The entire Chicago White Sox organization expresses our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the innocent victims of today’s horrific shooting and all of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” the team wrote in a statement.