'Highland Park parade shooting suspect dressed as woman to blend in with crowd'  

HIGHLAND PARK: The man, accused of shooting seven and wounding over 30 people at a Highland Park Fourth of July parade, dressed as a woman and blended into the fleeing crowd, the police said.  

The alleged gunman, identified as 21-year-old Robert Crimo III, was arrested during a traffic stop about eight hours after the attack at the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

Addressing a press conference, Christopher Covelli – Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman – said 21-year-old Robert legally purchased the weapon used in the mass shooting. A second gun was found in his car following his arrest.

Police said he had planned the attack for weeks and on Monday, was able to access the roof of a business near the parade route and fired over 70 rounds into a panicking crowd.

Officials said Crimo was wearing a dress and long-haired wig — possibly to hide his distinctive neck and face tattoos — and was able to blend into the crowd, posing as a bystander.

After the shooting, he went to his mother’s home where he took her car and left the area. He was caught after someone recognized him and phoned North Chicago police.

Officials said there was no indication that anyone else acted with him. A motive is currently unknown and charges are still pending.

Covelli addressed rumors that the gunman was targeting the suburb’s large Jewish population and said there is currently no indication that the shooting was racially charged or targeted toward any marginalized group.

Videos that appeared to have been posted online by Robert Crimo are under investigation by police. No children were killed in the shooting, according to Covelli.

The NorthShore Hospital group received 38 patients, including at least four to five children. Additionally, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest said they received nine patients, with six having gunshot wounds.

In an earlier press conference Monday, NorthShore said 19 victims were been treated and released and the total age ranges were from eight to 85 years old. One of the children who were injured had to be airlifted to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

At this time, the exact total number of shooting victims in the incident is unknown. It was confirmed Tuesday that a seventh person had died from the shooting.

On Monday, police addressed rumors that were circulating throughout social media and said there is no indication that the gunman was barricaded or had hostages.