Highland Park, Illinois — On Monday, July 4th, a gunman on a rooftop opened fire on an Independence Day parade about 26 miles north of Chicago, killing at least six people, wounding at least 30, and sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers, and children on bicycles fleeing in terror, police said.
Authorities said a man named as a person of interest in the shooting was taken into police custody Monday evening after an hourslong manhunt in and around Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on Chicago’s north shore.
The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration. Dozens of fired bullets sent hundreds of parade-goers — some visibly bloodied — fleeing.
The suspected gunman, Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, is an aspiring rapper who goes by the name “Awake the Rapper” and posts music videos on YouTube and other social media platforms.
