A mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, during a Fourth of July parade drew immediate attention from local media and the public. Reported footage and messages circulated online depicting violent content, including a claimed rehearsal of a school attack and other alarming posts connected to the incident.
The suspect, a 22-year-old individual named Robert Crimo, was taken into custody late on Sunday, approximately eight hours after authorities say he fired from a rooftop at parade participants and observers outside Chicago.
The individual behind the social media posts had previously shared a range of material on various platforms, including content that appeared to simulate an armed confrontation and other material that suggested a planned act of violence, according to local media outlets such as WGN9.
Authorities indicated that the videos included depictions of potential murder scenarios, with one clip alleging decapitation. Reportedly, the YouTube channel associated with the person involved was removed on Monday night.
“A substantial portion of the videos posted suggested a plan to carry out a massacre,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering remarked in a televised interview.
Video coverage documented the arrest of the suspect in connection with the Independence Day parade in Chicago, noting the event occurred in a public setting with six fatalities and numerous injuries. The footage circulated on social media identified the location as a park near the parade route.
Rotering also criticized the availability of firearms described as “weapons of war” that some individuals can legally purchase in the United States, expressing concern about the potential replication of crimes similar to those that occurred in Highland Park.
The media continued to circulate clips of the arrest that night, describing the event as taking place eight hours after the shooting, which left six people dead and many others injured.
Among the deceased was a Mexican national, Nicolás Toledo, who had spent years in the United States visiting family in Highland Park. His family later shared with local outlets that his grandson, Xochil Toledo, reported that his father was injured while attempting to shield the elder relative from gunfire, underscoring the human impact of the tragedy. Distress from the incident extended to the broader community and to families connected to those affected across the region, with ongoing discussions about safety and remembrance in the aftermath of the event (attribution: reporting from local media outlets).