The gunman who killed 6 people on a July 4 parade in Highland Park Illinois is reportedly a rapper with thousands of supporters.
Robert Crimo, 22, who opened fire on Independence Day revelers as they enjoyed a street parade, killing 6 and injuring at least 25 is a rap music artist who goes by the name Awake.
During the parade, Crimo climbed onto a roof and began randomly shooting spectators with a rifle.
A synagogue teacher, Jacki Sundheim was shot dead by Crimo along with Grandfather Nicolas Toledo, 78. 5 were killed at the scene while another victim died in hospital later.
The gunmen fled the scene in a silver Honda and an 8-hour manhunt ensued. Crimo was pulled from the car and arrested after a car chase with police.
Crimo has over 16,000 listeners on Spotify and previously posted a drawing of himself dressed in combat gear, shooting people and a sick clip of himself opening fire and dropping bullets in a school classroom in a disturbing reference to school shootings.
https://twitter.com/triantafyllidi2/status/1544223193317232642?s=20&t=o7d9DBWZCXve_n-lpsM0pA
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He also shared a video of a beheading and regularly made dark references to death, suicide and violence on message boards. Another drawing he captions as his “destiny” appears to show a crudely drawn stick figure wearing gun belts shooting at a crowd of people with their hands raised in surrender.
Crimo was known to police, but it isn’t clear if he was ever questioned about the content he was sharing online.
From FB. These are drawings from Crimo, whose parents, Robert and Denise Crimo, owned a deli in Highland Park where he grew up. He is reading a Bible for very unclear reasons in the photo as well. pic.twitter.com/45lXwSgQQk
— Number 99 (@MmeBlackBalloon) July 4, 2022
His mother Denise Pesina, 48, posted to social media that she had recently taken up the Mormon faith and was into alternative healing. She was once arrested on suspicion of domestic battery and his, Bob Sr, 58, owns a local deli store and once ran for mayor.
Crimo also has a sister, Lynette Pesina who is 27.
The family live in a semi-affluent area of Highwood and own a $425,000 home just around the corner from where the shooting occurred.
It has been widely reported that Crimo was a supporter of Donald Trump, having attended a Trump rally in 2020 dressed in a ‘Where’s Waldo’ costume. Another photo emerged of the killer wrapped in a Trump flag.
The same day the Uvalde massacre occurred in which a sick gunman shot and killed 19 students and 2 teachers, Crimo’s father liked a social media post which read: “Protect the Second Amendment like your life depends on it.”
Of course it was. Robert E. Crimo III is a person of interest in the Highland Park shooting. Lock Up everyone. He's still at large. Yes, he is a Trumper and so was his father. #Chicago #HighlandPark #Indiana #Michigan #Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/Iysr61PIxP
— smallmausu (@smallmausu) July 4, 2022
Bob Sr.’s mayoral campaign did not seem to be backed by any political party.
“I’m running as mayor as a person for the people in our community,” read his campaign leaflet in 2018.
“It’s my way of giving back to the community who have been so supportive of me over the years. I live local and I will stay local.”
He was beaten to the post by the town’s sitting mayor, Nancy Rotering, who is a liberal who ran her campaign on tighter gun controls.
There’s no doubt that the mainstream media will use this tragedy and the photos of Crimo at Trump rallies to further attack peaceful gun owners. It is important to remember that over 74 million Americans voted for Trump in 2020, and one individual nutcase does not represent or reflect on millions of MAGA supporters. Violent criminals and terrorists come in all shapes and sizes.
It is impossible to legislate against lone wolf attacks, and as is clear from remembering the numerous massacres and terror attacks across anti-gun Europe in recent years, where there’s a will, there’s a way.