The morning of Monday, July 4th, AlertsUSA subscribers received the first of three alerts regarding a mass casualty shooting unfolding at the Highland Park, IL Independence Day parade. In this incident, 21-year-old Robert Eugene Crimo III began firing an AR-15 from the roof of a two-story commercial building on a corner along the parade route. Crimo gained access to the roof using an unsecured ladder on the side the building.
A total of 83 shots were fired. In the aftermath, seven people were killed and 30 others were wounded.
Police say Crimo managed to flee the scene and evade immediate capture by dressing in women's clothing and blending into the evacuating crowd. Crimo was taken into custody nearly eight hours later following a brief car chase in the Lake Forest area north of Chicago.
Lake County police say Crimo planned the attack for weeks. Investigators who have interrogated the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive. It is reported Crimo confessed to police that following the parade shooting, he fled to the Madison, WI area, where he contemplated a second attack, but turned back to IL where he was later arrested.
Readers are reminded that just weeks ago, AlertsUSA notified subscribers of new warnings and intelligence briefs from DHS about the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment facing the U.S. from domestic extremists of various types. DHS continues to assess that the primary threat of mass casualty violence in the United States stems from lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances.
AlertsUSA urges caution and vigilance when out and about. If you will be attending large gatherings or public events, make it a point to identify nearby exits (to include the entrance you just came through) and keep your situational awareness dialed up.
Abe Shinzo Assassinated in Japan
On Thursday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo while delivering campaign stump speech on a street in Nara City, Japan. The 67-year-old Abe, who was Japan’s longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, was shot from behind at close range by an assailant using a homemade, double-barreled gun.
The shooter, identified as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, was immediately arrested and offered no resistance. He later told investigators that he was dissatisfied with Abe and intended to kill him. He also claimed that he held a grudge against a "particular religious group" (the Moonies) and shot Abe because he believed that "the religious group and Abe were connected".
During a search of Yamagami's home, Nara Prefectural Police report the discovery of several possible explosive devices and handmade guns similar to the one used to shoot Abe.
As a final datapoint for consideration, readers may find it interesting that July 7th, the date of Abe's assassination, is also the 85th anniversary of the start of Japan's second invasion of China, also known as the Second Sino-Japanese War. This full-scale conflict is often regarded as the beginning of World War II in Asia. Interesting coincidence..
MI5 and FBI Issue China Warning
On Wed of this week, the head of UK's internal security service known as MI-5, and the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of the global threat posed from China. The first ever joint public appearance by MI5 head Ken McCallum and FBI director Christopher Wray took place at MI5 headquarters in London during a meeting with international business executives.
Director Wray said his agency “consistently see(s) that it’s the Chinese government that poses the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security, and by ‘our,’ I mean both of our nations, along with our allies in Europe and elsewhere.”
Wray went on to warn those gathered that China has a long history of targeting private sector information through “cyber-enabled thievery” and, more recently, has launched large-scale campaigns to gain access to U.S. and European businesses by “making investments and creating partnerships that position their proxies to steal valuable technology.”
China has also become adept at launching multi-faceted attacks against foreign institutions ranging from banking centers, research facilities, universities and even elections – and its actors have gone so far as to allegedly target congressional candidates viewed as anti-China, forward confidential vaccine research to their home country, and spy on pro-Democracy advocates in the U.S..
Director General McCallum said "the most game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party. It’s covertly applying pressure across the globe. This might feel abstract. But it’s real and it’s pressing. We need to talk about it. We need to act.”
McCallum warned: “It means that if you are involved in cutting-edge tech, AI, advanced research or product development, the chances are your know-how is of material interest to the CCP.”
Read the full transcript of their comments HERE.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant. |
