THECOCONUTWHISPERER.
General News and Conservative Politics. Strictly no Anti-Semitism, Nazism, Communism, Racism, or Conspiracy Theories including Anti-Vax & 911 conspiracies. Email : Admin_News@mail2world.com
Highland Park shooter Bobby Crimo 'sized-up' local synagogue at Passover and spooked security director who checked his bag for weapons at house of worship that sits just four blocks from massacre site
Robert Crimo went to the local synagogue earlier this year to 'size it up', the site's volunteer security director has said
Martin Blumenthal said that the 21-year-old was dressed all in black, with black gloves, as he entered the Chabad synagogue
He was also carrying a backpack, which Blumenthal inspected to check for weapons. Crimo stayed in the synagogue for 45 minutes
Blumenthal was spooked by the encounter, but didn't report it, as Crimo didn't technically do anything wrong
Crimo murdered seven people on Monday during the July 4 parade in Highland Park - an area with a strong Jewish community
No motive has yet been assigned, but Crimo, who was arrested on Monday afternoon, has been charged with murder
Robert Crimo, 21, went to his local synagogue during Passover dressed entirely in black and with black gloves and a backpack, the volunteer security chief said on Tuesday
The mass-murderer who killed seven at a July 4 parade in Chicago 'sized-up' a synagogue just four blocks from the scene of the shooting earlier this year, a staffer says.
Martin Blumenthal, volunteer security director of the Central Avenue Synagogue in Chicago's Highland Park, said Robert Crimo, 21, visited the house of worship in April this year, during Passover celebrations.
Blumenthal told Forward: 'He was definitely sizing up the synagogue.'
Crimo dressed in a black outfit, including a black hat and gloves. Blumenthal says he was sufficiently-unnerved by the strange young man's presence to squeeze the bag he was carrying, to check it for weapons.
Blumenthal added: 'He said his name was Bobby and he lived in the neighborhood. I watched him the whole time.'
Crimo ultimately stayed at the synagogue for around 45 minutes, before leaving quietly. Blumenthal said he didn't report the incident, because Crimo technically hadn't done anything wrong.
He explained: 'I profiled him. I knew what he was up to,' said Blumenthal. 'But he didn't cause a disturbance or anything. So I was just watching him.'
The Central Avenue Synagogue sits just four blocks from Gearheads, the outdoor goods store whose roof Crimo is believed to have fired the deadly shots from.
A possible motive for the mass-murder has not yet been shared by police, although Highland Park has a large Jewish community, and three of the victims of the shooting were Jewish.
Crimo was arrested Monday evening, and was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder Tuesday.
The synagogue was along the parade route and close to the spot where Crimo opened fire
Blumenthal told Forward that Crimo was wearing black gloves and black clothes 'in the goth style.'
He carried a backpack which Blumenthal said he examined to check for weapons.
'He said his name was Bobby and he lived in the neighborhood,' Blumenthal said.
'I watched him the whole time.'
Crimo stayed in the building for about 45 minutes, then left on his bicycle, Blumenthal said.
The synagogue, which has armed guards, and where many of the worshippers are also armed, is along the parade route on Central Avenue - four blocks from where Crimo opened fire.
Jacki Sundheim, 63, coordinated events and used to teach preschool at North Shore Congregation Israel, a Reform synagogue in nearby Glencoe.
Other Jewish victims have been named as Stephen Straus, 88, and Catherine Goldstein, 64.
The seven murder charges against Crimo were announced in a press conference by the Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart on Tuesday.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole.
One of the victims identified, Jacki Sundheim, a longtime teacher at the North Shore Congregation Israel synagogue, was shot and killed by the gunman, the synagogue announced in an email to congregants Monday night.
'Jacki was a lifelong congregant of NSCI and a cherished member of NSCI's staff team for decades,' the synagogue wrote in an email that announced her murder 'Jacki's work, kindness and warmth touched us all.'
Sundheim, was the Reform synagogue's events and b'nei mitzvah coordinator, according to its website. She is survived by her husband Bruce and daughter Leah, the Times of Israel reported.
'There are no words sufficient to express the depth of our grief for Jacki's death,' the synagogue added.
Police named a person of interest in the rooftop sniper attack on the Highland Park, Illinois Fourth of July parade that killed 6 and wounded 26. Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo III, age 22, male white, long black hair, small build, last seen driving a 2010 silver Honda Fit.
Crimo is reported to have purchased the rifle used in the attack.
Cops name Highland Park massacre suspect who killed six as local rapper Bobby Crimo, 22, and tell residents to stay indoors because he is 'armed and dangerous': First victim is named
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
Six people are dead including five adults who were killed at the parade. The sixth victim died in the hospital. Their age is not yet known. An additional 24 people were treated in hospital, aged from eight to 85
Authorities have named Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III, 22, as the suspect in the attack
Crimo has been described as being between 18 and 20 with long black hair, white, 'slight build' and wearing a t-shirt
The gunman used an automatic rifle that he abandoned before going on the run; police are now hunting him
The shooter opened fire on crowds at the Highland Park July 4th Parade at 10.20am on Monday morning
Confused residents couldn't tell if the gunshots were fireworks or firecrackers that were part of the festivities
The shooter is believed to have opened fire from the roof of a store on the parade route
Videos show them running for their lives once they realized a shooter had opened fire
Chicago Sun Times reporter Lynn Sweet, in attendance, shared a photo of what she termed the 'bloodbath'
Witnesses say lifeless bodies lay in pools of blood along the parade route
Highland Park is one of the most affluent suburbs in Chicago's North Shore, and it is known for its low crime
Witnesses have described watching in horror as six people were killed by a gunman at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, an affluent suburb of Chicago, on Monday.
The shooter - who remains at large - is said to have opened fire from the roof of what was an outdoor outfitting store, picking off people in the crowd who at first confused the sound of gunshots with Independence Day fireworks.
The suspect has been named as 22-year-old Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III. He is from of the Highland Park area.
Crimo is believed to be driving a 2010 silver Honda Fit with Illinois plates reading dm80653.
The suspect is a rapper who goes by the moniker Awake the Rapper.
He is described as being between 18 and 20 years old, white, of 'slight build' with long black hair. He is wearing a white or a blue t-shirt and used what sounded like a semiautomatic rifle in the attack that he abandoned before fleeing.
Police said earlier that they were trying to trace the weapon they found back to its owner in the hopes it will lead them to him.
The suspect has been named as 22-year-old Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III. He is from of the Highland Park area
Police said earlier that they were trying to trace the weapon they found back to its owner in the hopes it will lead them to him
An IMDb page about the suspect describes him as a 'rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and director from Chicago.'
The most viewed video on the rapper's YouTube channel is the music video for his song: 'On My Mind.'
The shooting began less than 15 minutes after the start of the parade. Witnesses have now told how they saw children being picked off in the crowd.
Six people are dead including five adults who were killed at the parade. The sixth victim died in the hospital. Their age is not yet known.
Nicholas Toledo, a grandfather, was among those killed. His family confirmed his death to CBS.
Chilling videos obtained by DailyMail.com replay how the gunman first unleashed one long hail of bullets before stopping - presumably to reload - and then resuming fire.
Brigham Temple, the medical director of emergency preparedness for Northshore university health system, said they received 20 patients aged between eight and 85 - 10 of them by ambulance.
Four of five patients were children, he said. One of the children who arrived at Northshore was too critically ill to be transported initially. He was stabilized and airlifted to a children's hospital in Chicago.
Temple said some of the patients were in critical condition.
Of the 25 who arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds, 19 were treated and discharged home.
One had to be transferred to Evanston hospital. Two patients are still being treated at Northshore.
'It is a little surreal to take care of an event such as this,' he said.
'But all of us have undergone extensive training.'
He said there was a team of therapists and counsellors standing by. His hospital was one of three taking in patients from the parade shooting.
A statement from the Township High School District 113 said that all members of the Highland Park High School marching band and members of the school's football team are safe and accounted for.
As of Monday afternoon:
Police continue to hunt the gunman, who is described as a white male, aged 18-20, with long black hair and a slight build
ATF agents are trying to trace his high powered weapon to a name in order to track him down
It was revealed the shooter climbed onto the roof of a business with a ladder from an alley
Authorities in Highland Park tried to track down the families of the five adults killed
Survivors told how they threw their kids in dumpsters to shield them from the spray of bullets
President Biden called for greater gun reform in light of the shooting and Democrats called it ironic that it happened in Independence Day, claiming no one in America is free of gun violence
Scroll down for video
Nicholas Toledo, a grandfather, was among those killed. His family confirmed his death to CBS. Police say five adults were killed at the scene of the parade. A sixth victim died in hospital. They have not yet been identified
Horror on Independence Day: A police officer bows his head in grief next to abandoned strollers and chairs after a shooting that killed six people in Highland Park, Illinois
The bloody scene in Highland Park, Illinois, on Monday after a shooter opened fire on a Fourth of July parade shortly after 10am
Strollers and chairs were abandoned at the scene after the shots rang out at 10.14am, just ten minutes after the parade began
The scene at Highland Park on Monday after the July 4th Parade emptied out amid reports of gunshots. Police have not yet confirmed that anyone was shot
The aftermath of the scene in Highland Park on Monday after a shooter opened fire on the parade. Chairs and strollers were abandoned by attendees
The parade had only begun 14 minutes before the gunman opened fire from a rooftop along the route. The shooting caused a stampede of people who flocked into stores and cars. The parade was scheduled to last for an hour
Man films shooting in Highland Park, Illinois from his apartment
The Governor of Illinois was among the first to call for an end to gun violence while other Democrats - who have been relentlessly demanding gun reform since the Uvalde school shooting on May 24 - invoked irony to make renew their calls for change.
'The fact that no place in the USA is safe from gun terror means no place is truly free. Heartbroken for Highland Park,' Katherine Clark, Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House, tweeted.
Witnesses described seeing children being shot at the parade. All of the confirmed deaths so far are those of adults.
'All of a sudden everyone behind us started running. I looked back, probably 20 feet away from me, I saw a girl shot and killed. I saw her die. I've never seen anything like this,' a woman, who gave her name only as Zoe, told CNN.
Police say they recovered a 'rifle' at the scene but witnesses described multiple rounds being fired in quick succession which they say could only have come from a semi-automatic.
'A rifle? No, no. It was an automatic weapon. It was pop, pop, pop - rifles don't do that,' she said.
President Biden - who has been calling for gun reform since the Uvalde shooting on May 24 which claimed 19 lives - issued a statement on Monday afternoon.
He said he had given his support to the Governor of Illinois and the Highland Park Mayor, and he celebrated his recent passing of a gun control bill.
Police officers cross under police tape at the scene of a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene of a mass shooting at a 4th of July celebration and parade in Highland Park, Illinois, USA, 04 July 2022. A gunman opened fire as people gathered to watch a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing at least six people and injuring dozens
'I recently signed the first major bipartisan gun reform legislation in almost thirty years into law, which includes actions that will save lives.
'But there is so much more work to do, and I'm not going to give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence,' he said.
Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement: 'There are no words for the kind of monster who lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community.
'There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their futures.
Highland Park is around 30 miles north of the city of Chicago and is a quiet, suburban area
'There are no words I can offer to lift the pain of those they live behind. I will stand firm with Illinoisans and Americans: we must - and we will - end this plague of gun violence.'
Zoe, the woman who witnessed a little girl being shot in the head, said the event was for children and dogs who had just passed by when the gunman opened fire.
'One man had been shot in the head, his ear, he was bleeding all over, and he was, like, I'm just happy that's all happened. There was another girl that got escorted out that was shot in the leg. We were hiding in the basement for quite a while.
'I mean, someone, 20 feet away, you know, someone — and then we went back to get our cars and we saw the streets were quite littered.
'It looked like a battle zone and it's disgusting.
'It was — you know, everyone obviously remembers the Boston marathon massacre, like a happy marathon, and it's just a happy day. It's the Fourth of July.
'It was the kid's parade and dog parade. Little kids on bicycles and pets.
'That's who had just walked by,' she said.
Witnesses described a 'sickening' scene and is it feared that children are among the dead.
'I saw multiple lifeless bodies, people in a pool of blood. One father, who survived with his kids, tossed his son in a dumpster.
Miles Zaremsky, a 74-year-old lawyer who has lived in Highland Park since for 60 years, told DailyMail.com: 'I witnessed the carnage. It was nice outside weather-wise, so I took a walk twenty minutes from my house.
Children taking part in the parade in Highland Park ran for their lives when they heard shots ring out
Band plays as people flee from active shooter at IL July 4th parade
Law enforcement search in downtown Highland Park, a Chicago suburb, after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, Monday, July 4, 2022
Law enforcement search in downtown Highland Park, a Chicago suburb, after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, Monday, July 4, 2022
A gunman opened fire as people gathered to watch a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing at least six people and injuring dozens
Law enforcement officers look over a park near the scene of a mass shooting at a 4th of July celebration and parade in Highland Park, Illinois
Chairs remain abandoned at the scene of a mass shooting at a 4th of July celebration and parade in Highland Park, Illinois
Law enforcement officers help evacuate people from an Anthropologie store in Highland Park, Ill., on Monday, July 4, 2022, after a shooter fired on the northern suburb's Fourth of July parade
A toddler who was separated from his parents at the parade is now in the care of strangers at the local hospital. He is unharmed and seems to be in good spirits. A local chef picked him up as people ran for their lives. He took him to the hospital where his grandparents collected him later
'I heard multiple shots and I thought it was firecracker… but I heard multiple shots, 30-35 pops if I had to guess.
'The crowd started stampeding. I had ever seen that before. I saw blood on people's bodies.
'Two or three people looked deceased to me[around 25 to 40 years of age]. It was absolutely disgusting and gut-wrenching and I was sick to my stomach.
It was sickening. If this can happen here it can happen anywhere...I saw 12 to 24 injuries... I saw a couple of lifeless bodies on the ground.'
Miles Zaremski
'I did see a little boy [covered in blood] in his parents' arms who looked [pale]. They were yelling for medics.
'It's surreal, it's like out of a science fiction but it is real.
'My wife and I have been living in Highland Park since 1966. It is a beautiful, charming, peaceful, law-abiding community.
'If it can happen here, it can happen in any community in the United States.'
Highland Park is an affluent, suburban city with a population of 30,000. Its residents are largely families and there is a significant Jewish population in the area, but there is no suggestion the attack was anti-Semitic.
Among those who were participating in the parade was a Hasidic Jewish band. One jarring video showed them slowly making their way down the parade route on a float while those ahead of them - suddenly aware of the danger - ran in the opposite direction.
Nineteen-year-old real estate student Rainan Eli, 19, saw the shooting unfold from the window of his apartment on Central Avenue and Second Street.
'I was just sitting studying for some class I'm taking and watching the parade. I saw lots of people running and at first, everybody assumed it was fireworks being the Fourth,' he told DailyMail.com.
Eli pulled out his cellphone and recorded heart-wrenching video of people running and seeking shelter as shots being fired could be heard in the background.
He said that two other residents of his apartment building came downstairs with him and gave the 15 to 20 people in the vestibule drinks.
Debbie Glickman, a Highland Park resident, said she was on a parade float with coworkers and the group was prepared to turn onto the main route when she saw people running away from the area
Mass shooting at the 4th of July celebrations in Highland Park, Il
First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. Reports indicate at least six people were killed and more than 20 injured in the mass shooting
Law enforcement search after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, a Chicago suburb on Monday, July 4, 2022
Law enforcement search as they walk into a building after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, a Chicago suburb on Monday, July 4, 2022
First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. Reports indicate at least five people were killed and 19 injured in the mass shooting
Video shows families running as gunfire rings out at July 4th parade
President Biden - who has been calling for gun reform since the Uvalde shooting on May 24 which claimed 19 lives - issued a statement on Monday afternoon. He said he had given his support to the Governor of Illinois and the Highland Park Mayor, and he celebrated his recent passing of a gun control bill
Debbie Glickman, a Highland Park resident, said she was on a parade float with coworkers and the group was prepared to turn onto the main route when she saw people running away from the area.
'People started saying `There's a shooter, there's a shooter, there is a shooter'' Glickman said.
'So we just ran. We just ran. It's like mass chaos down there. I'm so freaked out,' she said.
'We can't believe this happened in our little town.'
Matt Phillip, 36, director of tasting room operating at Lynfred Winery, told DailyMail.com: 'We were open early for the parade and upon hearing what sounded like fireworks, we noticed that people started running down the street.'
'We opened our doors so they could either seek shelter within our facility or exit through our back-alley door.'
Highland Park is renowned for being one of Chicago's most affluent suburbs; Michael Jordan owns a mansion in the area, and it is also where enormous mansion featured in Home Alone is situated.
It is among a cluster of wealthy suburbs along the North Shore next to Lake Michigan.
The town's mayor, Nancy Rotering, spoke briefly at a press conference along with law enforcement on Monday to share her condolences with the families of those killed.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted: 'The tragedy unfolding in Highland Park is devastating.
'I have been in contact with Mayor Rotering and have offered our support, and the Chicago Police Department is providing assistance.
'We grieve with the families of the deceased and injured as well as the entire Highland Park community.
'Law enforcement is working hard to bring the shooter into custody.
'If anyone has information, we encourage them to call 911 and report what you know.'
Unlike Chicago, which has one of the worst gun violence records in the country, violent crime in Highland Park is almost unheard of.
The average price of a home in Highland Park was $714,000 in April 2022 and the city has a population of around 30,000.
