WITH BREAKING NEWS ALERT AND NEW AT 11 CAPTURED AND IN CUSTODY, THE FEAR AND WORRY IN THE
NORTHERN CHICAGO SUBURBS START
TO FADE AS POLICE FIND A PERSON
OF INTEREST IN A DEADLY PARADE
SHOOTING BUT SADLY FOR TOO MANY
FAMILIES THAT GRIEF PAIN AND
CONFUSION WON’T LET UP FOR A
LONG TIME. IF EVER THIS
TERRIFYING DAY STARTED, LIKE SO
MANY OTHER FOURTH OF JULY’S WITH
PICTURE PERFECT PARADE IN THE
TOWN OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
, AND THEN SUDDENLY, A HELL OF
BULLETS RAINED DOWN ON THE
CROWD. SIX PEOPLE DIED IN THE
ATTACK. AT LEAST 20-6 ARE
HOSPITALIST WITHIN HOURS, POLICE
IDENTIFIED 22 YEAR OLD ROBERT
CREMO, THE THIRD AS A PERSON OF
INTEREST. A SHORT TIME LATER, HE
WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER
POLICE SPOTTED HIM IN THIS
SILVER HONDA, WHICH IS BEING
PROCESSED RIGHT NOW, FOR
EVIDENCE ARE NICK MONACELLI IS
LIVE IN HIGHLAND PARK TONIGHT.
OTHER PEOPLE TELLING YOU ABOUT
THIS HORRIBLE, TERRIFYING CHAIN
OF EVENTS. I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN
SPEAKING WITH FOLKS. IT IS ONE
OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO
ASK TWICE WHEN YOU ASK THEM WHAT
HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU JUST HAVE
SUCH A HARD TIME BELIEVING IT
HAD BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AT THE
PARADE ENJOYING THEMSELVES. AND
THEN STARTED RUNNING DOWN
CENTRAL AVENUE, TRYING TO FIND A
SAFE PLACE TO GO BECAUSE THEY
HONESTLY HAD NO IDEA WHERE THEY
WERE GOING TO GO. WHERE WERE THE
BULLETS COMING FROM? WHAT WAS
HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I’D LIKE TO SHOW YOU WHAT’S
HAPPENING HERE. THIS IS STILL A
VERY ACTIVE SCENE. AND WILL BE
FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS THE
EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS AND
INVESTIGATORS PROCESS EVERY
SQUARE INCH OF THIS. YOU CAN SEE
STROLLERS AND BIKES AND CHAIRS
ALL STREWN ABOUT JUST THROWN
ABOUT BECAUSE AGAIN PEOPLE WERE
LITERALLY RUNNING FOR THEIR
LIVES. AN INDEPENDENCE DAY
SCARRED FOREVER IN THIS NORTHERN
CHICAGO MAIN STREET KIND OF
TOWN, A SHOOTER PERCHED ON TOP
OF THE ROOF, KILLING SIX AND
WOUNDING 24. OTHERS. ALL THE
VICTIMS ARE BETWEEN EIGHT. AND
85 YEARS OLD. IT’S HORRIFIC TO
ALWAYS SEE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE BUT
TO EXPERIENCE IT WHERE I LIVE,
IS HONESTLY UNIMAGINABLE.
TONIGHT CENTRAL AVENUE IN
HIGHLAND PARK IS MUCH QUIETER
THAN IT SHOULD BE. IT’S A HARD
DAY BECAUSE THIS IS MY
COMMUNITY. THIS IS MY I’VE LIVED
HERE FOR 57 YEARS ON THE NORTH
SHORE, AND SO IT’S PERSONAL. THE
SUSPECTED GUNMAN RAN AFTER THE
SHOTS. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE HE
BLENDED IN WITH THE CROWDS
BEFORE VANISHING FOR MOST OF THE
DAY. THEN AROUND SIX PM CENTRAL
TIME AN OFFICER SPOTTED HIM ON
THE LOCAL FREEWAY. THERE WAS A
SHORT CHEESE, AND EVENTUALLY THE
SUSPECT GAVE UP AND WAS TAKEN
INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT INCIDENT.
THAT’S THE END OF A HORRIFYING
DAY. BUT REALITY IS JUST SETTING
IN ALICIA DE LA CRUZ LOST CLOSE
FRIENDS IN THE SHOOTING. BROKE
MY CAR, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY ASK PEOPLE
THAT WE KNOW. UM WE KNOW IF YOU
OF THEM AND THIS IS NOT FAIR.
BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH PEOPLE. I
CAN TELL YOU. ALICIA’S STORY IS
ONE OF MANY THERE HAVE BEEN
LINES OF PEOPLE COMING TO THIS
INTERSECTION, LOOKING OVER THE
POLICE TAPE AND DISBELIEF AT
WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT
THEY’RE FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE
GONE THROUGH MANY PEOPLE LOST
LOVED ONES WHO JUST WERE IN SUCH
SHOCK THAT THEY CAME HERE
STARTED BREAKING DOWN AND WALKED
RIGHT BACK AWAY. KIMBERLY AND
KAREN, IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS GOING TO
TAKE A LONG TIME TO HEAL FROM
AND WHAT’S REALLY UNFORTUNATE IS
THAT THIS IS ALMOST BECOME A
PLAYBOOK FOR US IS THAT
UNFORTUNATELY THEY KNOW WHAT TO
DO. THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A LITTLE
MORE REAL. THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. THEY JUST
DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
BREAKING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED,
NICK. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THIS
PERSON OF INTEREST. WE’RE JUST
LEARNING PIECES OF INFORMATION.
WHAT IS NEXT? IN TERMS OF THIS
SUSPECT. SO THAT PERSON OF
INTEREST WAS AS WE MENTIONED
ARRESTED THERE AT THE SCENE
WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED
OVER TAKING INTO CUSTODY NOW AT
THE HIGHLAND PARK PLACE
DEPARTMENTS AT ANY MOMENT, SO
RIGHT NOW IT’S A COUNTY CASE
RIGHT SO THE COUNTY PROSECUTOR
WILL STEP IN. REVIEW THE
EVIDENCE THEY HAVE GATHERED SO
FAR, PROCESS IT AND TALK ABOUT
CHARGES, BUT AT ANY MOMENT THE
FEDS COULD STEP IN AND MAKE THIS
A FEDERAL DOMESTIC TERRORISM
CASE IN WHICH CASE EVERYTHING
SHIFTS, AND THIS BECOMES A MUCH
, MUCH BIGGER PICTURE FEDERAL
SCALE. SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
COMING HOURS AND DAYS, NICK, WE
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME AND
YOUR EFFORT. OUR COVERAGE OF THE
INVESTIGATION DOES CONTINUE
TOMORROW MORNING AND LOCAL 4
NEWS NICKEL CONTINUE HIS
REPORTS. FROM HIGHLAND PARK ON