Prosecutors: Highland Park mass shooting suspect contemplated second attack in Wisconsin

The 21-year-old Highwood man accused of carrying out a mass shooting during the Highland Park Independence Day parade Monday admitted to police officers that he carried out the attack, prosecutors said during a Wednesday bond court hearing.

Additionally, officials said the shooting suspect considered another attack in or near Madison, Wisconsin, after he fled Highland Park.

Robert Crimo III faces seven counts of first-degree murder, one for each victim.

Lake County Judge Theodore S. Potkonjak revoked the suspect's bail at a bond court hearing held Wednesday morning over Zoom.

Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon said the accused made a voluntary statement to Highland Park police officers confessing his actions.

Dillon said the accused told police he dressed in women's clothing and wore makeup to conceal his identity, accessed the roof using a stairway and looked down his sights to shoot at the people across the street.

Dillon added the accused told police he used three 30-round ammunition magazines during his rooftop attack. Dillon said officers have recovered 83 spent shell casings from the roof.

Dillon said the accused identified himself and the weapon he used in the attack when shown surveillance camera images.

After the bond hearing, Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said while the suspect was driving near Madison after the Highland Park shooting, he seriously considered using another weapon and 60 rounds of ammunition he had to commit another mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration he happened upon.

Covelli said investigators believe the suspect decided not to launch a second attack at the celebration in or near Madison because he had not put enough thought or research into it. Officials believe the accused put weeks of planning into the Highland Park attack.

Even though the suspect dropped the rifle he used in the Highland Park shooting near the scene, Covelli said he was still in possession of a semi-automatic weapon and had 60 rounds of ammunition on him when he came upon the celebration near Madison.

Covelli said the suspect's cellphone, which he disposed of in Middleton, Wisconsin, near Madison, has been recovered by FBI evidence technicians. Eventually, the suspect decided to return to Illinois where he was apprehended by officers following a traffic stop around 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Gregory Ticsay, an attorney in the Lake County Public Defender office assigned to represent the accused, said at the hearing his client did not have any money to post bail if a cash bond were set.

Prosecutors are seeking life in prison. Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said after Wednesday's hearing that his office is preparing additional charges to account for those injured in the attack.

"For each individual who was hurt people can anticipate an attempt murder charge as well as an aggravated battery with a firearm charge," Rinehart said. "Every time he fires a bullet at an individual he is committing aggravated discharge of a weapon."

Five people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and two more died later in hospitals. More than two dozen people were injured in the attack, according to officials.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 28.