MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

'Loner' Highland Park shooter Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III was 'normal' the night before massacre, says uncle

The suspect's uncle Paul Crimo revealed how his nephew showed no abnormal behavior on Sunday night on July 3, the day before he gunned down six people

Highland Park shooting suspect Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III was a regular kid who showed no violent tendencies despite being a loner and living in an apartment behind his parents' house, according to his uncle. 

The 22-year-old Crimo was arrested on Monday, July 4, at 6.30 pm following an eight-hour long multi-agency manhunt. He is now been remanded in custody as he awaits his first court appearance, but he's yet to be charged at the time of publication. The suspect's family members spoke to the FBI before he was eventually tracked down in Lake Forest, eight miles north of the scene of the parade where he opened fire at 10.15 am local time. The shooting suspect's uncle Paul Crimo revealed how his nephew showed no abnormal behavior on Sunday night, July 3, despite his YouTube rap videos in which he appeared to glamorize school shootings. Authorities are yet to establish a motive for the Fourth of July massacre.

RELATED ARTICLES

Inside the 8-hour manhunt that led to the capture of Highland Park killer Robert Crimo

Who is Rodolfo Aceves? Texas teen, 19, who idolized Salvador Ramos plotted mass shooting at Amazon facility

"I'm heartbroken. I’m so heartbroken. There were no signs that I saw that would make him do this. He’s a quiet kid. He’s usually on his own. He’s a lonely, quiet person. He keeps everything to himself," the suspect's uncle Paul Crimo told CNN. "Everything was as normal," he continued, saying his nephew was sitting on a recliner in his home the night before the shooting. "We are good people here, and to have this is devastating. I’m so heartbroken for all the families who lost their lives," Paul added.

Crimo's parents are yet to address the attack. His father Bob Sr. reportedly had an unsuccessful mayoral bid against Nancy Rotering, the current Mayor of Highland Park, Illinois. Rotering confirmed on Tuesday morning, July 5, that Crimo had "legally obtained" his weapon. She said the suspect was a student of hers when he was a cub scout and described him as a normal "little boy." The weapon used in the Monday shooting is yet to be confirmed by the authorities, who have only said it was a "high-powered rifle" that they recovered from the scene of the shooting. "It's one of those situations where you stand back and ask, what happened? How did somebody become this angry, this hateful, to then take it out on innocent people who were just literally having a family day out?" Rotering bemoaned. "He was just a little boy." 

Crimo, who also goes by his artist name 'Awake the Rapper', reportedly has more than 16,000 listeners per month on Spotify. Disturbing music videos shared by the suspect last year showed a caricature of himself shooting people online. They also featured a clip of himself throwing bullets on the floor of a classroom while wearing armor in a supposed gag about school shootings.

As mentioned, the 22-year-old was arrested on Monday after an eight hour-long manhunt involving local as well as federal agencies. Former mayoral hopeful Bob Crimo Sr, 58, is reportedly also a local deli owner, and the suspect's mother Denise Pesina, 48, was once arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. However, her social media accounts suggest she's turned a new leaf and is now a Mormon with an interest in alternative therapies. That said, Crimo has two siblings including an elder sister named Lynette Pesina, 27. The family resides in a cushy $425,000 home in Highwood, which is less than two miles from the scene of the shooting, according to the Daily Mail.