'Awake the Rapper': Who is Robert Crimo, the Man Behind 4 July Chicago Shooting?

Also known as ‘Awake the Rapper’, IMDb describes the murder suspect as a “hip hop phenom”.

While people were celebrating Fourth of July, United States’ Independence Day, a 22-year-old man went on a shooting spree in Chicago, Illinois, from a rooftop, as he killed six people and injured 24, while shooting round after round from a “high-powered” rifle.

The shooting took place in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Hours later, the suspect, identified as Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo, was arrested.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which assisted with the search for Crimo, he was being sought for his "alleged involvement" in the shooting. Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said that he was taken into custody "without incident".

Who Is Robert E Crimo III?

Also known as ‘Awake the Rapper’, a wanted poster by the FBI describes Robert E Crimo III as a thin White male with brown eyes and neck-length brown hair, weighing 120 pounds.

The poster also describes his tattoos: "Four tally marks with a line through them on his right cheek, red roses and green leaves on his neck, and cursive script above his left eyebrow."

IMDb (Internet Movie Database) describes Crimo (Born 20 September 2000) as a “hip hop phenom”, who is known for “his hit song On My Mind”, released on 8 October 2018.

Another description of Crimo, who began uploading his music to the internet when he was 11 years old, said:

"The Lo-fi sad boy then went on to release a second mixtape entitled 'observer' on August 10, 2018 and an EP called 'The Future Is Dope' on his 18th birthday. Fast Forward a couple months and Awake releases his hit song 'On My Mind'."

Meanwhile, as per IMDb, his estimated net worth is "$100 thousand."

Crimo is the son of Bob Crimo, president at Bob's Pantry and Deli in Highland Park. According to his Facebook account, Bob Crimo ran for Highland Park mayor in 2020.

Warning Signs

The rapper had released a track called 'Are You Awake' on 15 October 2021.

The track includes violent imagery and lyrics highlighting an impending doom.

• "Like a sleepwalker, I am unable to stop and think...My actions will be valiant and my thought is unnecessary. I know what I have to do, I know what's in it, not only for me, but for everyone else."

• "There is no past or future, just the now... It is more abstract than I can ever imagine. I can feel the atmosphere pushing me in. It's unstoppable, like a wave pulling me under, I can't breathe without it."

• "I need to leave now, I need to just do it. It is my destiny, everything has led up to this... Nothing can stop me, not even myself. Is there such thing as free will, or has this been planned out, like a cosmic recipe?"

Crimo adds, "It is what I've been waiting for in the back of my head, ready to be awakened, It is what I've been sent here to do, like a sleepwalker."

There were disturbing videos on his YouTube channel. It seems that Instagram, YouTube, Discord and other social media channels have taken down the accounts of the suspect.

For people taking part in the Fourth of July festivities, celebrations quickly turned into a nightmare as videos making rounds on social media show them fleeing after firing started.

(With inputs from CNN and The Verge.)