Death toll rises to 7 in Highland Park mass shooting

Some residents of Highland Park, Illinois, told CNN that they recognized shooting suspect Robert E. Crimo III, after police released photos of him due to his distinctive appearance, stating that they had seen him recently around the area.

Eric Januszewski and Kate McCarney live just a block away from the shooting scene and came out Tuesday morning with their rescue dog Biff to see the crime scene. A day earlier, Januszewski was at his home during the parade, heard the gunshots and saw the stampede of people fleeing. He offered waters and sodas to police in the hours afterward as they baked in the sun.

Both recognized the suspect, Crimo, from previous run-ins, primarily due to his colorful hair and prominent face tattoos. At a recent carnival in Highwood, Januszewski said he commented to Crimo about the face tattoos, noting they were “quite a commitment.” Crimo agreed and then told Januszewski to check out his SoundCloud account, he said.

Other residents who were at the Fourth of July parade reflected on the chaotic scene that ensued once the shooting started.

Ellen Cohen and Rob Phillips attended the parade and set up their chairs near its start, a block away from Central Avenue, where the shooting ultimately took place. They wanted to avoid the crowds.

They snapped a selfie of themselves smiling and enjoyed watching a group of kids bike through the parade route just minutes prior to the start of the official parade. About 10-15 minutes after the parade began, they heard what they thought was fireworks and ultimately realized were gunshots and ran from the area. Ellen left behind her cell phone and returned hours later to retrieve it.

For two residents, a last minute decision to skip the parade left them wondering what would have happened if they hadn’t change their mind.

Anisah and Steve Mihaljevic live on Central Avenue and Linden Avenue, just a block from the parade route. They were in Skokie, Illinois, visiting her parents on Monday morning and considered coming home for the parade after an invite from some friends. But they decided not to, partly out of laziness — a decision that left them wondering, “What if?”

“It was just so random that we ended up not being here,” Anisah told CNN, sitting on a bench near the crime scene. “It was one of those random decisions that ends up changing your life.”

They noted that last month, on June 11, there was a March For Our Lives rally in downtown Highland Park and at Sunset Park, where the parade ends. Their daughters attended and held signs calling for change.