Who is Robert E Crimo? Chicago man arrested in connection to July 4 Highland Park parade shooting

On Monday evening, Illinois authorities detained Robert E Crimo, a 22-year-old rapper accused of killing 6 people and injuring at least 30 during a mass shooting on July 4. According to USA Today, Crimo was arrested by officers on Monday after a search. He was arrested before 7 p.m.

Lou Jogmen, the chief of the Highland Park Police Department, informed the press about the release of Crimo in an official statement.

The statement said:

"The subject was taken into custody without incident."

He continued:

"This doesn’t necessarily mean this is over but we are certainly encouraged that we have a person of interest."

Initially, Police had been reluctant to describe Crimo as a suspect, instead referring to him as a "Person of Interest." His charges have not yet been disclosed.

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Robert E Crimo operated online under a pseudonym

Robert E Crimo III, born in Chicago, is the son of Bob Crimo, the owner of Bob's Pantry and Deli.

Police announced that Robert E Crimo is a Chicago-based rapper with an extensive online history. In certain videos released under his pseudonym, Awake the Rapper, cartoon characters can be seen carrying out mass killings.

According to the Times of Israel, Highland Park authorities interpreted the violent content in the Awake the Rapper videos as a potential sign that the creator had criminal tendencies.

Christopher Covelli, the spokesperson of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, explained their rationale in a statement.

He said:

"This individual is believed to have been responsible for what happened."

He added:

"(There is a) significant amount of digital evidence."

The online media includes extended massacre sequences and a photo depicting Robert E Crimo holding pictures of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of killing President John F Kennedy in 1963.

According to reports, after Crimo was identified as a suspect, Youtube took down much of his content. In an official statement, Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker condemned Crimo's actions and the phenomenon of mass shootings in general.

He said:

"It is devastating that a celebration of America was ripped apart by our uniquely American plague."

He added:

“I’m furious because it does not have to be this way… while we celebrate the Fourth of July just once a year, mass shootings have become a weekly — yes, weekly — American tradition.”

According to Times Now News, the July 4 attack in Highland Park, Illinois, is among 309 mass shootings in America in 2022. It came off the heels of high-profile massacres in Texas, Oklahoma, and New York.