Robert Bobby Crimo, a 22-year-old, was arrested for the massacre at Highland Park, Illinois during July 4 parade. An ardent supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, he was arrested following a police pursuit in Lake Forest, Illinois.
The mass shooting left six dead and several injured. Several videos have emerged on social media showing people running for cover as the gunman fired dozens of shots on the parade route.
Crimo Is a Local Rapper
The Daily Beast reported that prior to the shooting spree, Crimo, who is an amateur rapper, posted several grisly videos on his YouTube channel. One of the videos shows a heavily armed anime character being shot dead by the cops. The animated video Toy Solider shows a student texting in class as the shooter sings "f**k this world." It then moves on to scenes of a heavily armed shooter getting inside the school and starting a shooting spree. Moments later, the character engages with police before being killed and lying in a pool of blood.
In another video, On my Mind, Crimo is seen wearing tactical gear, holding an American flag, while sitting inside an empty classroom. seen inside an empty classroom in tactical gear and holding the American Flag.
Another video sees Crimo rapping, "Like a sleepwalker, I am breaking through no matter what" alongside clips of footage in which he appears to be armed. The videos have been removed by YouTube.
Crimo Is a Trump Supporter
A video-game enthusiast and professional wrestling fan, Crimo's social media pages also revealed him to be an ardent Trump supporter. NBC News reported that a video, dated January 2, 2021, posted to Crimo's YouTube channel shows him standing among a crowd of Trump supporters for the former U.S. president outside an airport. In another picture, he is seen wrapped in a Trump flag.
The outlet further reported that the shooter who was active on Discord server often shared disturbing posts. A post that carried the picture of Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania state treasurer who committed suicide during a live broadcast, read, "I wish politicians still gave speeches like this."
Another post that carried Crimo's selfie read, "Cursed image screenshot and send to everyone or commit not alive anymore."