McHenry Times

State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) offered his condolences to those affected by the shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, which left seven dead and dozens wounded.

On July 4, Highland Park residents gathered together for a parade. The festivities came to a tragic halt when a man began firing into the crowd from a rooftop, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported.

The bloody attack left seven parade-goers dead and dozens more injured. Suspect Robert 'Bobby' Crimo, age 21, avoided capture for approximately eight hours until law enforcement took him into custody in Lake Forest after a member of the public reported seeing him driving in vehicle on the highway. 

Sen. Dan McConchie | SenatorMcConchie.com

“Today, we witnessed an attack on America right in our own backyard,” McConchie said, according to his website. “As we continue to mourn and grieve with the people of Highland Park, the recovery and healing of this horrific act of domestic terrorism will be a long journey ahead. During a time when fellow Americans, our neighbors, were celebrating our great nation, we witnessed pure evil. This will be a tragedy never forgotten. I join the many others in thanking the heroic work of our law enforcement, who kept the community safe in the moments after the shooting and successfully apprehended the suspect. I also join in thanking the first responders, doctors, and paramedics for their swift actions to help the innocent victims. As we await justice under the law, I will continue to offer my prayers and full support to the community of Highland Park.” 

Crimo is also known as Awake the Rapper, Axios reports. Videos that have now been taken down from his YouTube channel showcased images of mass murders.

According to BBC News, police say that the shooting is unlikely to be racially or religiously motivated, but there is an ongoing investigation investigation.

"This is a terribly difficult day, and the bloodiest that we have experienced in Highland Park," Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said, according to the City of Highland Park website. "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. 

“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.”

According to NPR, Crimo likely premeditated the mass murder and gained access to the roof of a business by climbing a fire escape ladder, where he opened fire, with more than 70 rounds of ammunition, at parade attendees.

"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, according to Illinois.gov. "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 (First Lady Mary Kathryn) 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."