The young man accused of shooting seven people to death at the July 4 parade in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago, confessed to police that he fired into the crowd from a rooftop and then fled to the Madison, Wisconsin area, where, according to investigators, he thought about carrying out another shooting with the 60 bullets he had left.
"[There is] information indicating that while he was driving in Madison, he saw a celebration going on and
seriously contemplated
using the gun
he had in his vehicle to commit another shooting," said Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the Madison County Sheriff's Office. Lake at a press conference.
The young man escaped after the shooting in Highland Park dressed as a woman, according to the investigation, and got rid of the rifle, but had another and 60 more bullets in his vehicle.
The FBI found his cell phone at a business in Middleton, which is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) from Highland Park.
The young man would have left him lying there, Covelli said.
'It was kind of terrifying': A father recounts how he shielded his family from bullets in Highland Park
July 5, 202201:36
“We have no information to suggest that he planned to go all the way to Madison to commit another attack.
We believe he was driving after the first attack and saw the celebration,” Covelli clarified.
"I hadn't thought or investigated enough" about another shooting, he added.
“He looked down and took aim”
Lake County Assistant District Attorney Ben Dillon said in court Wednesday that the young man confessed to "looking down, aiming" and shooting people across the street from a rooftop.
He left 83 bullet casings and three magazines on the roof.
Six people died at the scene, and a seventh later in a hospital due to injuries sustained.
With more than 30 injured, some of whom are hospitalized in critical condition, authorities fear the death toll will rise.
[This young woman fled upon hearing gunshots at the parade. But her mother collapsed next to her and she had to say goodbye with one last message]
A woman prays at an armed memorial site following the mass shooting in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois.CHENEY ORR/REUTERS
The prosecutor said he planned to file charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault with a firearm for each individual injured.
"There will be many, many more charges to come," he anticipated at a press conference, estimating that he will say so by the end of the month.
[Suspect's YouTube channel showed the parade route and a simulation of the shooting]
The suspect was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt when he appeared in court via video call.
He showed little emotion when the prosecutor described the shooting, saying little more than telling the judge that he did not have a lawyer.
Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based attorney, said Tuesday that he would represent the young man, who intended to plead not guilty to all charges.
But Durkin told the court Wednesday that he had a conflict of interest and resigned from the defense, so the suspect was assigned a public defender.
