Kendall County Times

Illinois State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) recently offered his condolences to those affected by the July 4 Highland Park shooting.

On July 4, residents were gathered for the Highland Park Independence Day parade when a man began firing into the crowd from a rooftop, ABC News reported. His attack left seven people dead and dozens more injured. Originally identified as person of interest, Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III, 22, evaded capture for approximately eight hours until law enforcement took him into custody in Lake Forest.

"Please continue to keep Highland Park in your prayers today in the wake of the senseless violence that shook the community and our state yesterday," Batinick wrote in a July 5 Facebook post. "Our hearts are with the families of the victims, survivors, and witnesses."

Crimo has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and more charges are likely, according to NBC News.

Prior to the shooting, Crimo posted "disturbing" videos on his YouTube channel in which he described and depicted mass shootings, Fox News reported. Chris Covelli of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force implored the public to notify law enforcement if they see social media posts of that nature. Covelli said Crimo had been planning the shooting for weeks.

Following the shooting, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering issued a statement.

"This is a terribly difficult day, and the bloodiest that we have experienced in Highland Park," Rotering said. "We are fortunate to be supported by our law enforcement community and federal, state, county and local government officials who have all offered resources as we work to apprehend the perpetrator and protect Highland Park and nearby communities."

"Our community, like so many before us, is devastated,” she said. “It’s impossible to imagine the pain of this kind of tragedy until you’re confronted with it. Gun violence - a mass shooting such as this casts a much wider net of agony than what the public is typically exposed to; it’s a crisis that devastates entire families and communities in a single moment and we know it will take time to heal. Again, I want to extend my thanks to the people and resources who are moving this investigation forward and we all look forward to bringing this individual to justice. On behalf of the City of Highland Park, our hearts are broken for the victims and their families. As we always do, we will support each other. We are Highland Park strong."