The Highland Park shooting was planned for a long time
FBI agents scrutinized the scene of crime under the microscope tuesday morning.
The perpetrator of Tuesday's shooting in suburban Chicago during an American Independence Day parade planned his attack “for weeks” and planned his attack. is disguised as a woman to better conceal himself in the crowd, local police said on Tuesday.
The attack was carried out with an automatic weapon similar to an AR-15 which was purchased legally, Lake County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said in an early afternoon press briefing. More than 70 bullets were fired by the killer.
Six people died and 30 others were injured when the alleged killer, Robert Crimo, opened fire from the roof of a local business into a crowd gathered in what is considered a peaceful suburb of north of Chicago for the traditional 4th of July parade.
The 21-year-old man, who was arrested on Monday evening, remains in custody pending his court appearance, which is expected in course of the next few hours.
No motive has yet been established for the killings, Covelli said. However, it appears that the man opened fire randomly on the crowd, without specifically targeting a religious or ethnic group.
According to Mr. Covelli, Robert Crimo was able to climb onto the roof of a business using an exterior fire escape. After firing into the crowd, he left his gun behind and blended into the crowd. He mingled with people running around, almost as if he was an innocent bystander too, he described.
The feminine clothes he wore allowed him to hide his identity and the tattoos he wears on his face. It is not excluded that he was wearing a wig, Mr. Covelli said, which could explain why the initial description of the suspect mentioned long hair.
The abandoned weapon, entrusted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), played a major role in tracking down the killer, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Deputy.
According to Mr. Covelli, Robert Crimo went after the shooting to his mother's home, where he borrowed her vehicle. When officers finally intercepted him a few hours later, they found another rifle in the car.
Other weapons were later found in where Crimo lived. They were registered in his name and had also been purchased legally.
Deputy Chief Covelli declined to comment on Robert Crimo's level of cooperation with the investigation, which is ongoing. Police have yet to study videos he posted online and meet with people who knew him.
According to US media, the suspect's internet posts were sometimes violent and referred to weapons and shootings.
According to the Chicago Tribune, a video from eight months ago shows a young man believed to be Robert Crimo in a bedroom and classroom with posters of a gunman and people being shot.
I just need to do this, says a voice that accompanies the video. This is my destiny. Everything led me to this. Nothing can stop me, not even myself.
An uncle of the suspect, Paul Crimo, claimed on CNN on Tuesday that he saw no signs that would explain which he did.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering told NBC that she knew the young man when he was a Boy Scout.< /p>
This is where you have to think and wonder what happened: how did someone become so angry, so full of hatred to attack innocent people spending a day with their families?, she wondered.
With information from Agence France-Presse
