CHICAGO — The gun that was used in the Highland Park mass shooting was purchased legally in Illinois, authorities and Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering told the Tribune.
The comments offered some of the first details of the provenance of the weapon used in the shooting that killed at least six people and injured more than two dozen others in the north suburb.
Chris Covelli, a spokesman with the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, confirmed the suspect who is in custody for the shooting purchased the gun in Illinois.
Details on the original purchase of the weapon came from an expedited trace conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the wake of the shooting. The weapon has been described by authorities as “high powered.”
Covelli also told the Tribune that the FBI is sending in an expert team to reconstruct the shooting, which means items left along the parade route will likely remain for several days.
Authorities continued to investigate Tuesday after a gunman opened fire on a Fourth of July parade in north suburban Highland Park Monday morning, sending crowds of people fleeing from the parade route, leaving behind chairs, blankets, strollers and other remnants from the holiday celebration.
The victims ranged in age from 8 to 85.
Parade attendees described hearing a barrage of bullets while watching floats and marchers traverse down the street. People grabbed children and ran, taking cover in nearby shops. A tuba player recalled watching people running in panic while his band played joyful music.
The attack shuttered much of the North Shore while law enforcement from more than 100 agencies searched for the gunman. Parades and events in nearby towns were canceled while many sheltered in place, leaving quiet streets on the normally jubilant holiday.
Police arrested Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, 22, Monday evening following an hourslong search. He had previously been described as a “person of interest” in the case by Highland Park police. After a short chase, he was apprehended in North Chicago without incident, authorities said.
Police recovered a rifle at the crime scene.
Crimo posted online videos under the name “The Awake Rapper,” some with chilling references to violence, including one that features footage of a young man in a bedroom and a classroom along with cartoons of a gunman and people being shot.
On Tuesday morning, downtown Highland Park was still marked by detritus left behind during the shooting. The parade route was littered with abandoned lawn chairs and strollers. American flags waved.
Some stunned residents tried to keep to normal routines, while bracing for more news of the dead and injured.
A block away from the parade route, a group of men met for coffee near a Starbucks, where they’ve gathered every morning for fifteen years. They had to bring morning brew from Dunkin’ Donuts because their store remained closed.
”We meet here everyday to talk normally about fun stuff. Today is not so fun,” Highland Park resident Andrew Stone said. ”This is such a small community. We’re all going to know someone who was injured.”
The men tried to find out who among the people they knew was shot. A family friend took a bullet to the foot. A woman at the temple had been killed, they determined.
They argued over why it happened here, in the tight-knit community they once knew was safe. Across the grated table, Jim Terman said he had been watching the parade from the block where the shooting happened. He can’t stop thinking about it.
”It just runs through your mind,” he said.
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