Bobby Crimo III charged with murder; seven dead in Highland Park mass shooting

As a picture of the Highland Park mass shooting suspect becomes more in focus, there are images of Bobby Crimo III entering a synagogue.

CBS 2' Charlie de Mar spoke to a security guard who saw the suspect.

The Central Avenue Synagogue is just down the street from where this shooting happened. At the end of April, leaders said he  hehe walked in during Saturday morning services sat down with a backpack, dressed in all black leather and wearing gloves and quickly getting the attention of the security team.

"The thought did cross my mind that maybe he is just casing the place," said Marty Blumenthal, who works security for the synagogue and said he now thinks that's why the suspect was there. 

"Now I do, now that I know he has homicidal tendencies for sure."

Blumenthal does security for the synagogue and said as soon as he saw the suspected shooters picture on TV, he knew it was the same person who was inside the synagogue a couple months before.

Several staff members at the temple started a conversation with him and checked his bag for weapons, which he didn't have, and after about 45 minutes he got up and left.

Police weren't called then because he didn't do anything illegal, but the visit did concern the congregation.

"My concern was that he was going to pull some kind of weapon out," Blumenthal said,

Staff with the synagogue said they walked him out and he left on a bicycle. Blumenthal said police were called Monday to report the incident that happened at the synagogue.

As people come to terms with the devastation of the Highland Park mass shooting on July 4, those who attended the event are coming back to the scene.

CBS 2's Steven Graves reports complete strangers are also stopping by the parade route to pay their respects.

The words people are using include heartbreak, frustration and anger. As memorials grow at the scene, so does the need for a sense of closure and peace.

FBI agents are still looking into evidence at this crime scene. Part of Central Avenue, where the shooting took place, remains closed.

There are many items still scattered throughout including children's bikes and chairs. A couple said their phone and other personal items are there.

A woman named Lori said her mom was at the parade stepping over dead bodies. She came to the area for her mother, and to pay respects.

And then there are survivors like Tim Wilson, who was one of more than 40 people who went to nearby hospitals for injuries.

"We were so close. People died like 15 yards from us. It was so surreal we didn't know where we were at or where the shooter was, so we just wanted to walk back and get some sort of closure," Wilson said.

"You know, I'm either going to know the person, I'm going to know someone who knows the person, but we're Highland Parkers, they're members of our community," said Highland Park resident Lori Flores-Weisskopf.

Some people who had abandoned items outside of this crime scene said they have come to find things lost or stolen. CBS 2 is checking in with police to see if they've gotten reports or may have picked up themselves.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Highland Park on Tuesday, telling the community still reeling from Monday's deadly mass shooting "we're here for you and we stand with you," after seven people were killed and dozens more were wounded.

"I'm so sorry for what you all have experienced, and the pain, the suffering. This should never have happened. We talk about it being senseless. It is senseless. It is absolutely senseless," Harris said Tuesday evening.

Harris' visit to Highland Park came just hours after prosecutors announced murder charges against the shooter, and said more charges are coming.

"This person will be brought to justice, but it's not going to undo what happened," she said.

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CHICAGO (CBS) -- First-degree murder charges have been filed against Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, the accused gunman in Monday's deadly mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Highland Park.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said Crimo is charged with seven counts of first-degree murder, one for each of the seven people were killed in what Rinehart described as a "premeditated and calculated attack."

"These are just the first of many charges that will be filed," Rinehart said. Prosecutors expect to file dozens more charges, including aggravated battery, for each of the surviving victims. At least 38 people were wounded in the shooting.

Crimo faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

Crimo has retained prominent Chicago defense attorney Tom Durkin, who said he tried to have an attorney visit Crimo on Monday night, but was not permitted to do so.

Durkin told CBS 2 he spoke with Crimo for about 10 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, and plans to comment on the case after Tuesday's bond hearing.

Authorities in Highland Park have said Crimo planned the attack for weeks, dressed as a woman to hide his tattoos and blend in with the crowd, and drove up to Wisconsin before being arrested.

Police confirmed Tuesday afternoon a seventh victim has died as a result of injuries sustained from the mass shooting. At least 38 people were injured.

A high-ranking law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation released an image Crimo dressed in women's clothing. Source tells CBS 2 the image was captured Monday after the shooting.  

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The mother of the suspect in Monday's deadly mass shooting in Highland Park has been at the center of some police contact for hours on Tuesday, as well as with a SWAT team in the hours after the shooting.

A mailbox listed in the name of her business is now under a police seal.

Video shows a confrontation between the suspect's mother and police on the 1500 block of McDaniels Avenue in Highland Park, as SWAT teams were searching for her son in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

She could be seen shouting and gesturing at officers, appearing very angry.

Bobby Crimo's mother, Denise Pesina, also has a mailbox and business listed at the UPS Store about three blocks from the mass shooting scene in downtown Highland Park.

Is that mailbox the subject of the police investigation? The CBS 2 investigators found the entire UPS Store has been locked and closed by police order. No one can enter or access their mailboxes.  

It's the only store with such a sign in that small strip mall in Highland Park.

The mailbox we found coming back to his mother is partially blocked by a cardboard box. No word yet on why police have ordered that UPS Store closed.

We're still waiting to hear back from police about that mailbox.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – Survivors of Monday's mass shooting at a July 4th parade in Highland park are trying to find a way to cope with the trauma of what they witnessed.

CBS 2's Tim McNicholas spent Tuesday speaking with people who ran for their lives, hid in vacant storefronts and took cover in apartment doorways.

The Crane family showed CBS their camera roll from Monday morning, which was full of happy photos and smiles.

Candice Crane took her 6-year-old to use the bathroom. Meanwhile, her husband Aaron took a video as he enjoyed the parade alongside their 1-year-old. At the very end of the clip, the first shot can be heard.

"You know you hear about other shootings and you think to yourself, 'Well, what would I do in that situation?'" said Aaron Crane. "And then you're faced with it and, you know, the adrenaline gets pumping and it's all very, like tunnel vision."

The couple also recalled what they saw during the chaos of the shooting.

"And I don't think I'll ever get this image out of my mind," said Candice Crane. "I saw like the whole crowd of people running toward us."

Candace and her 6-year-old found a vacant storefront with an open door and hid underneath a counter. Aaron carried his 1-year-old to an apartment doorway and a stranger wound up letting them inside.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The suspect in Monday's deadly mass shooting in Highland Park threatened to "kill everyone" with knives and swords in 2019, which raises the question of how Crimo was able to obtain a FOID card in 2020.

CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey has been digging into that part of the investigation.

The suspect was armed with two high-powered rifles that day, authorities said; one that was recovered at the scene, and a second that was discovered in his mother's borrowed car that he was driving when he was arrested.

Police also recovered at least three other firearms in his Highwood home, including handguns and possibly a shotgun.

All of those firearms were purchased legally in the Chicagoland area, according to investigators.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office said Bobby Crimo has had a valid FOID card since 2020, which would have made him about 18 or 19 years old — the earliest you can apply for a FOID card in the state of Illinois.

In 2019, police said a family member reported Crimo was exhibiting concerning behavior.

"Crimo said he was going to kill everyone and Crimo had a collection of knives. The police responded to his residence. The police removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from Crimo's home. At that time, there was no probable cause to arrest. There were no complaints that were assigned by any of the victims," said Chris Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force

But Illinois State Police were notified of that incident. When asked how Crimo was still able to successful apply for a FOID card - this was the response from ISP.

"He didn't have a pending application (at the time of the 2019 incident) so there was nothing to review at that time when we got that notification. We didn't know a few months later something else would happen," said Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Delilah Garcia

The high-powered rifle recovered at the scene shot "high velocity rounds," similar to an AR -15, investigators said. Police on Tuesday said approximately 45 people were shot, including seven who died.

The city of Highland Park did enact a ban on assault rifles in 2013, which was challenged legally — all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately passed on hearing the case, allowing the ban to remain in place.

"If a ban on semiautomatic guns and large capacity magazines reduces the perceived risk from a mass shooting, and makes the public feel safer as a result, that's a substantial benefit," the Supreme Court's ruling stated.

The ban regulates "the possession or ownership of assault weapons" in the city, but it doesn't say anything about regulation or anything about people bringing guns from outside cities — like Highwood, where Crimo lives.

The ban carries a punishment of up to 6 months prison time or fines for violations of the ordinance.

There are still plenty of questions about how the shooter was able to transport the weapon to the parade route unnoticed.

Investigators said the women's clothing that he was wearing may have helped him conceal it, but they're still hammering out those details.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A lot of questions remain after Monday's deadly mass shooting in Highland Park, which left seven people dead and dozens more wounded, including where did the shooter get his gun?

CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey has been digging into that part of the investigation.

The suspect was armed with two high-powered rifles that day, authorities said; one that was recovered at the scene, and a second that was discovered in his mother's borrowed car that he was driving when he was arrested.

Police also recovered at least three other firearms in his Highwood home, including handguns and possibly a shotgun.

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HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – Both parents of a 2-year-old child were killed in Monday's mass shooting during a July 4th parade in Highland Park.

Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, were among the seven people were killed during the mass shooting. Their son, Aiden, was separated from his parents during the chaos.

A woman who had the child said Highland Park police came to her home to take the child to the police station to be reunited with his family.

The child was not injured.

A GoFundMe page was created to raise money to support Aiden.

"At two years old, Aiden is left in the unthinkable position; to grow up without his parents," the page description said.

The page said Aiden's grandparents will care for him.

The page raised over $65,000 as of 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

Six of the seven victims were identified:

64-year-old Katherine Goldstein of Highland Park 35-year-old Irina McCarthy of Highland Park 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy of Highland Park 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim of Highland Park 88-year-old Stephen Straus of Highland Park 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, Morelos, Mex.  

Authorities in Highland Park said the suspect in the Highland Park July 4th mass shooting planned the attack for weeks, dressed as a woman to hide his tattoos and blend in with the crowd and drove up to Wisconsin before being arrested.

A high-ranking law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation released an image of 21-year-old Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III. Source tells CBS 2 the image was captured Monday after the shooting.

At an afternoon news conference, Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force said Crimo came to the attention of police back in April of 2018 for a suicide attempt.

"This was a delayed report, so Highland Park still responded to the residents a week later spoke with Crimo spoke with Crimo's parents and the matter was being handled by mental health professionals at that time. There was no law enforcement action to be taken," Covelli said.

Another incident took place in 2019, when a family member said Crimo was exhibiting concerning behavior.

"Crimo said he was going to kill everyone and Crimo had a collection of knives. The police responded to his residence. The police removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from Crimo's home. At that time, there was no probable cause to arrest. There were no complaints that were assigned by any of the victims," Covelli said.

He added that after that, the department notified the Illinois State Police of the incident. Covelli elaborated on why Crimo wasn't taken into custody back in 2019.

"Police can't make an arrest unless there is probable cause to make an arrest or somebody is willing to sign complaints regarding the absence of those things. The police don't have power to detain somebody," Covelli said. "Now, if there is an issue where there is the necessity to involuntarily commit somebody to the hospital, that's an option. But that wasn't an option at that time that it didn't fall in that category."

Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster declaration Tuesday for Lake County, to help expedite the use of state resources in recovery efforts following Monday's mass shooting in Highland Park.

"There are no words for the kind of evil that turns a community celebration into a tragedy," Pritzker said in a statement. "As we mourn together, the State of Illinois will provide every available resource to Highland Park and surrounding communities in the days and weeks ahead as the community works to recover from this horrific tragedy."

Pritzker's disaster declaration will remain in place for 30 days. 

According to the governor's proclamation, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will implement an operations plan to coordinate state resources to support local governments in Lake County with recovery operations after the shooting, which left seven people dead and dozens more wounded.

A 7th victim has died after the mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Highland Park on Monday, police confirmed Tuesday.

No further details were immediately available about that victim.   

Among the victims who died were Jacki Sundheim, a teacher at North Shore Congregation Israel synagogue, and Nicolas Toledo, a grandfather in his late 70s, who had been visiting his family for about the past month when he went to the parade.

The Lake County Coroner's office has said they expect to provide more information on the victims who died by Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.

The NorthShore University HealthSystem hospitals treated a total of 39 patients from Monday's mass shooting in Highland Park who arrived by either ambulance or other means.

The patients went to NorthShore hospitals in Highland Park, Evanston, Glenbrook and Skokie, according to a NorthShore spokesman.

Nine patients were still in the hospital within the health system as of around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. They range in age from 14 to their 70s. Four are in good condition. Another four patients' conditions have been stabilized, and one patient, a 69-year-old man is in critical condition at Evanston Hospital with a gunshot wound.

Eight of the nine hospitalized patients suffered gunshot wounds.

Of the 39 total patients treated by the system, 28 patients have been treated and discharged. One patient, an 8-year-old boy, was transported to the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. The hospital said Tuesday the child was in critical condition.

One patient died with receiving critical care in the Highland Park Hospital Emergency Department.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Authorities in Highland Park said the suspect in the Highland Park July 4th mass shooting planned the attack for weeks and dressed as a woman to hide his tattoos and blend in with the crowd.

Deputy Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force said so far, a motive hasn't been provided by 21-year-old Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III. He was arrested around 6:30 p.m., more than eight hours after the shooting, following a chase in the north suburbs. 

"The rifle was purchased in Illinois, and the information we picked up far is that it appears to have been purchased legally," Covelli said. "He was dressed in women's clothing and investigators do believe he did this to conceal his facial tattoos and his identity and help them during the escape with the other people who were fleeing the chaos."  

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Investigators from the FBI were back on the scene in Highland Park, looking for additional evidence from Monday's deadly mass shooting. 

Agents were looking under chairs and blankets left behind in the chaos. 

A line of investigators was walking on the sidewalk looking for more clues. 

The gun used in the July 4 mass shooting, which has only described by authorities as a high-powered rifle, was purchased legally, Highland Park's mayor said Tuesday morning. 

Nancy Rotering said that gun laws need to change because these shootings are happening almost weekly. 

"I think it's pretty clear what needs to be done. We need this nation to have a very strong conversation about what it means if we are coming together to celebrate our freedom and independence and people have to face a terrorist on a rooftop with guns that were obtained legally. That's a problem."

It was unclear whether the shooting suspect purchased the gun directly. 

Nearly 24 hours after a gunman killed six people during Highland Park's July 4 parade, the Central Avenue area remains a crime scene. 

Shardaa Gray reports that eight people who were injured remain in the hospital. At least one child who was critically injured is being treated at University of Chicago Hospitals. 

Marissa Parra reports that the suspect is in custody at the Highland Park police station. Charges against Robert Crimo III could be filed at some point on Tuesday. 

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Mayor Nancy Rotering said it "was a particularly joyous day" on Monday, the first July 4 parade since the pandemic prevented the event for two years. 

"Off of a sudden, I saw the Highland Park High School marching band running down the street," she said. "It still didn't register why. I got a call from the city manager telling me what had happened."

"We started shouting to everybody on the parade route to head west (down Central Avenue).

"You hear these things on the news and they are horrifying and then it's in your back yard and you just can't believe it's real."

There will be a prayer service later today at a local park at 5 p.m., she said. 

"Today we need to take the day to reflect and to mourn."

"There are stories that are just heartbreaking that we won't ever forget. We are a family and we will be here for each other."

She also said that gun laws need to change because these shootings are happening almost weekly. 

"I think it's pretty clear what needs to be done. We need this nation to have a very strong conversation about what it means if we are coming together to celebrate our freedom and independence and people have to face a terrorist on a rooftop with guns that were obtained legally. That's a problem."

Rotering told CBS Mornings knew the shooting suspect, who was in her Cub Scout pack.

The suspect was a rapper who began posting music online when he was 11 years old. His music videos were often violent and some depict gun violence. His father is a business owner who ran for mayor in 2019. There was no published criminal record for the suspect. 

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- After aggressively searching for the suspected Highland Park parade shooter for more than eight hours, police brought Robert Crimo III into custody in Lake Forest.

Frank Picchieitti recorded video of several police officers, guns drawn, making the arrest at Route 41 and Westleigh Road. 

tonight-new video of police arresting the man they beelive opeend fire during the fourth of july parade-Frank Picchietti recorded the video

"Oh my god," Picchietti said. "I can't believe this is going on. He's here. They caught him."

"I saw the Honda, and I knew that was the shooter. That's when I pulled the camera out of my pocket and started video-taping what was going on."

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Physicians at Highland Park Hospital described their efforts to treat more than two dozen victims of Monday's mass shooting at a July 4th parade.

NorthShore University Health System officials said 38 total victims with injuries were taken to hospitals via ambulance or other vehicles.

"There's been a lot of different events that have happened in the United States, and this obviously now has hit very close to home. It is a little surreal to have to take care of an event such as this, but all of us have gone through extensive training," said Dr. Brigham Temple, the medial director of emergency preparedness at NorthShore University Health System. "We go through a number of different programs, training. We practice for these events even though we hope they never happen. So I think our team very admirably handled the situation today."

Temple added the patients with injuries at Highland Park Hospital ranged in age from 8 to 85 years old. He said "four or five" of the those hospitalized were children.  

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Time and again on Monday, so many videos showed the sheer panic as people attending the July 4th parade ran for cover, many of them leaving their belongings behind and running for their lives.  

"It started as a child's parade and a pet parade," said one parent of a 2-year-old and 4-year-old. "It was the most wholesome thing you can imagine.

"I have a photograph of me crossing the exact spot literally four minutes before this happened. We were so close to it. It's horrifying."

People left behind lawn chairs, drinks, stuffed animals and even shoes as the ran for cover.