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WEKU
WEKU
National
Becky Sullivan

Highland Park suspect's online history reveals a fascination with violence

Robert Crimo III Donald Trump Jared Holt Chris Covelli Discord Police Spotify
Crimo made rap music under the name Awake The Rapper. In one video, he wears a helmet and vest inside an empty classroom and scatters bullets across the floor. (Screenshot by NPR/AwakeTheRapper)

In the thousands of messages, photos, videos and songs posted online by Robert Crimo III, the 21-year-old suspected of opening fire on a Fourth of July parade in suburban Illinois, one conclusion is clear: Crimo was unusually interested in violence.

At least two of his music videos depicted some kind of shooting. On Discord, he shared a photo of Budd Dwyer, a politician who killed himself during a live press conference. And he apparently posted thousands of times to an online forum dedicated to sharing violent photos and videos of people dying.

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