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On Monday, Chicago’s Highland Park witnessed a major tragedy as a gunman open-fired at a Fourth of July parade, leaving six people dead and more than two dozen injured.
Nearly eight hours after the incident, Highland Park police arrested 22-year-old “person of interest” Robert E Crimo III, in connection to the shooting. He was reportedly pulled over on U.S. 41 at Westleigh Road in Lake Forest and “taken into custody without incident.”
Police Chief Lou Jogmen said that the suspect was initially spotted by a North Chicago officer and later detained at Highland Park police station following a brief vehicle chase. According to CBS, authorities said the shooter perched on a rooftop and fired towards the parade.
Police Commander Chris O’Neill mentioned that officials later discovered a “high-powered rifle” from the shooting venue, which was likely used to fire dozens of rounds in the direction of the crowd.
He also shared that the gunman climbed atop the commercial building using an unsecured ladder and placed himself in a position that was “very difficult to see” prior to the rampage.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said the authorities used terms like “suspect” and “person of interest” after making the arrest but did not share any details about the motive behind the shooting.
What is a high-powered rifle?
A high-powered firearm is often used to describe a weapon that is capable of firing a heavy bullet. Although there is no official definition of the weapon, the NRA High Power Rifle rules defines a 5.56/.223 cartridge as “High Power Rifle.”
Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Robert Reynolds told the Press Democrat that the definition of a high-powered rifle is “open to interpretation.” He also mentioned that he considers anything from and above .223-caliber to be high-powered.
Officials also shared that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was in the process of determining the ownership history of the rifle.
Netizens demands gun control measures after Highland Park Fourth of July shooting
The United States has continued to reel under the effects of consistent gun violence incidents this year. The tragic Fourth of July parade shooting incident in Chicago’s Highland Park sparked further gun violence concerns and prompted people to question the long-debated gun control measures in the country.
According to Britannica, the U.S. has recorded the highest homicide-by-firearm rate among developed countries. Although the country protects gun control measures constitutionally, incidents of gun violence are extremely common.
Several people have argued that limiting access to guns may help stop mass shootings and frequent incidents of gun violence in the U.S. The cries for gun control measures across the country grew louder after the latest Highland Park Fourth of July massacre.
In light of the incident, many social media users also took to Twitter to express their demands and concerns about the same:
As opinions continue to pour in online, it is yet to be known if the renewed debate about gun control measures will prompt authorities to make newer decisions in the days to come. Meanwhile, it also remains to be seen if officials will reveal the motive behind the Fourth of July shooting.
