The alleged gunman who killed six people and wounded more than 36 when he shot at an Independence Day parade from a Chicago rooftop on Tuesday morning (NZ time) is a local rapper.
Police had previously identified a person of interest in the shooting as 22-year-old Robert E Crimo III, who was from the area. They said he was driving a silver 2010 Honda Fit automobile.
Crimo was spotted in the same Honda described by the FBI in North Chicago, where local police attempted a traffic stop before the man allegedly took them on a short pursuit, authorities said, according to NBC.
At the end of the chase the person of interest surrendered peacefully to North Chicago officers, they said.
Who is Robert E Crimo III?
An online profile matching Crimo’s age and description appeared to show he is a musician who performs as a rapper. Newshub is not identifying his rap name.
Crimo's Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages have been removed, but a series of his videos have been uploaded.
An IMBD account of Crimo describes him as a "six foot Hip hop phenom" born on Sept. 20, 2000. "He's the middle child of three and of Italian descent."
According to Fox News, he is the son of Bob Crimo, who ran for mayor of Highland Park - where the shooting occurred - in 2020.
One of his music videos features stick-figure animations of a man firing a gun at people and later lying face-down in a pool of blood with police surrounding him.
In a different song, he is seated at a desk rapping in a classroom setting, when he reaches into a backpack when the screen goes black. It returns to him kneeling on the floor surrounded by shell casings with maniacal laughter in the background. The video continues with him wearing a military-style helmet and bullet-proof vest.
More than 36 people were injured, mostly with gunshot wounds, said Jim Anthony, a spokesman for the NorthShore University HealthSystem.
The 26 victims taken to the Highland Park hospital ranged in age from 8 to 85, said Dr Brigham Temple, an emergency room doctor.
President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill were "shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day."
