South Cook News

Keith Pekau, mayor of Orland Park, offered his condolences to those affected by a shooting in Highland Park that left seven people dead and two dozen injured.

He is a candidate for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 6th Congressional District.  

Highland Park residents were gathered for a July Fourth parade when Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III began firing into the crowd from a rooftop, ABC7 Chicago reported. Crimo evaded capture for approximately eight hours until law enforcement took him into custody in Lake Forest. 

"Betty and my hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the residents of Highland Park during this difficult time," Pekau said in a Facebook post. 

Authorities said they believe the attack was premeditated, according to NPR. Crimo likely gained access to the roof of a business via a fire escape ladder that he climbed before firing more than 70 rounds of ammunition at parade-goers. 

Police said it is unlikely that the shooting was racially or religiously motivated, but the investigation is ongoing, BBC reported.

"This is a terribly difficult day, and the bloodiest that we have experienced in Highland Park," Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said in a statement. "We are fortunate to be supported by our law enforcement community and federal, state, county, and local government officials who have all offered resources as we work to apprehend the perpetrator and protect Highland Park and nearby communities ... Our community, like so many before us, is devastated. It's impossible to imagine the pain of this kind of tragedy until you're confronted with it. 

"Gun violence – a mass shooting such as this – casts a much wider net of agony than what the public is typically exposed to; it's a crisis that devastates entire families and communities in a single moment, and we know [it] will take time to heal. Again, I want to extend my thanks to the people and resources who are moving this investigation forward, and we all look forward to bringing this individual to justice. On behalf of the city of Highland Park, our hearts are broken for the victims and their families. As we always do, we will support each other. We are Highland Park strong."

Crimo is a rapper who is also known by the name Awake, according to Axios. Videos on his YouTube channel featured images of mass murders; they have since been taken down. 

"Today, I ask all Illinoisans to pray for the families who have been devastated by the evil unleashed this morning in Highland Park, for those who have lost loved ones, and for those who have been injured," Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) said in a press release. "I also ask that we all pray for our first responders at all levels of government who are actively working to bring the suspect into custody, and whose bravery undoubtedly saved innocent lives on the scene. There are no words for the kind of monster who lies in wait and fires into a crowd of families with children celebrating a holiday with their community. There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their futures. 

"There are no words I can offer to lift the pain of those they leave behind. Please know that our state grieves with you, that MK and I grieve with you. But, grief will not bring the victims back, and prayers alone will not put a stop to the terror of rampant gun violence in our country. I will stand firm with Illinoisans and Americans: we must – and we will – end this plague of gun violence."