Tragedy struck a holiday parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois on Monday. During an Independence Day celebration, a gunman reportedly opened fire on a group of civilians while standing atop a nearby building. The violent incident left at least six peopled dead and injured as many as 38 people.
“You heard like a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ and I think everybody kinda thought maybe it was a display on one of the floats, and then it just opened up,” a witness by the name of Larry Bloom told NBC News.
“I was screaming, and people were screaming. They were panicking, and they were just scattering, and I, you know, we didn’t know. You know, it was right on top of us.”
Approximately six hours after the mass casualty incident took place, authorities arrested a man by the name of Robert “Bobby” Crimo III. During a news conference on Monday evening, Chris Covelli of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force said that Crimo III “is believed to have been responsible for what happened.” Moving forward, authorities will continue to investigate the matter as Crimo III remains in custody. Recent reports from Mesal Rezaei indicate that police have turned their attention to a search of Crimo III’s residence.
The mass casualty incident drew the attention of millions across the country, including President Joe Biden and Illinois Governor Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker.
“[First lady] Jill [Biden] and I are shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day,” Biden stated.
“As always, we are grateful for the first responders and law enforcement on the scene.”
