Highland Park parade shooting suspect confessed and “seriously contemplated” a second attack, officials say

The man charged with killing seven individuals at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, traveled to Wisconsin after the shooting and “seriously contemplated” one other assault, police mentioned Wednesday. Authorities additionally mentioned 21-year-old Robert “Bobby” Crimo III has admitted to the killings and “went into details about what he had done” in an interview with investigators. 

Lake County Major Crime Task Force Deputy Chief Chris Covelli informed reporters on Wednesday that after Crimo left the shooting scene in Illinois, he traveled to Madison, the place he noticed one other vacation celebration going down. 

“He seriously contemplated using the firearm he had in his vehicle to commit another shooting,” Covelli mentioned. 

“We don’t have information to suggest he planned on driving to Madison initially to commit another attack,” Covelli added. “We do believe that he was driving around following the first attack and saw the celebration.” 

Covelli mentioned it isn’t but clear why the suspect did not perform one other assault, however mentioned “indications are that he hadn’t put enough thought and research into it.” Authorities have mentioned they imagine Crimo deliberate the assault in Highland Park for weeks. 

Covelli mentioned it is also not clear why Crimo left Madison to return to Illinois, the place he was finally apprehended after a police officer pulled him over in his mom’s automobile. He mentioned Crimo left his telephone in Madison, and that the system has since been recovered. 

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart mentioned Crimo can be held with out bond. He additionally mentioned investigators informed the decide at Wednesday’s bond listening to that he fired one full clip of 30 rounds, reloaded, continued firing, and reloaded a third time. 

Crimo was charged on Tuesday with seven counts of first diploma homicide. If convicted, he would face a necessary life sentence with out the opportunity of parole, Rinehart mentioned when saying the costs. 

Rinehart mentioned he anticipated “many, many” extra expenses to be filed, together with an tried homicide cost and an aggravated battery with a firearm cost for everybody who was harm within the shooting. He mentioned these expenses are anticipated in late July. 

Police mentioned Tuesday that a minimum of 45 individuals have been injured or killed in the course of the shooting. Authorities have recognized the seven deceased victims as Katherine Goldstein, 64; Kevin McCarthy, 37; Irina McCarthy, 35; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69.

Jordan Freiman and Alex Sundby contributed reporting.