Weapons & Guns

The guy suspected of killing 7 people and injuring dozens of others during a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, pre-planned the savage attack and dressed in women's clothing to disguise himself in an effort to evade capture ... police announced Tuesday.

During a news conference, Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Robert Crimo wore his disguise to also cover up his tattoos ... as he squeezed off more than 70 rounds with a legally purchased high-powered rifle. Covelli noted that the death toll had gone up from 6 to 7 murder victims.

After the attack, Crimo allegedly dropped the rifle and fled from the roof of a business, from which he opened fire. During the ensuing chaos, he was able to blend in with the crowd thanks to his disguise, Covelli said.

Crimo then walked to his mother's nearby home and borrowed her Honda, cops said. He led police on a high-speed car chase that ended with him in handcuffs.

Cops believe the 21-year-old Crimo had been planning the attack for several weeks.

Crimo has yet to be charged in the mass shooting, but officials are expected to address that issue later this afternoon.

Robert Crimo III, the person of interest in the 4th of July Highland Park massacre, joked about school shootings online and even drew a sketch of him getting shot and killed by cops with a gun by his side.

Crimo has been on social media for years, posting violent images of mass shootings. He called himself a rapper with the name "Awake the Rapper" with 16,000 Spotify listeners every month.

One of his drawings shows a man lying on the ground, presumably dead with a rifle by his side, as police closed in on him.

In one image, you see a man holding a rifle as someone appears dead on the ground and another person is standing hands up as the gun is pointed toward him.

There's another drawing of Crimo throwing bullets on a classroom floor, decked out in armor.

He seemed to have contempt for politicians ... posting a photo last fall of Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania official who shot and killed himself on live TV with the caption, "I wish politicians still gave speeches like this."

He did seem to have a soft spot for Donald Trump, appearing at several rallies ... in one case dressed as "Where's Waldo." There's another pic of him draped in a Trump flag.

He was very open about his fascination with mass murder and violence ... and lots of people saw this for years. As far as we can tell so far, there were no direct threats that would have alerted law enforcement ... although apparently, he was 'known to law enforcement.'

FBI agents wearing tactical gear and brandishing assault rifles poured out of an armored vehicle Monday and raided the suburban Chicago home of Robert Crimo -- the person of interest in the July 4th mass shooting -- and TMZ obtained exclusive video of the raid.

The scene unfolded around 4:30 PM Monday in Highwood, Illinois -- where Robert Crimo lives with his family -- two hours before the alleged killer was taken into custody by police after a brief car chase. Cops identified Crimo as a "person of interest" in the heinous shootings and recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene.

Video from the raid shows two teams of FBI agents with guns poised ... walking up to the front and side entrances of the house. One of the agents is heard banging on the front door and yelling, "It's The FBI. If you're inside, come out with your hands up."

The other team is seen walking along the side of the house and pointing their guns at the windows, before entering the home through an unlocked door.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... the feds stayed there for several hours taking photos, but it's unclear if they removed evidence from the home or made arrests. Some agents were overheard saying they had viewed "some interesting things."

During the raid, we're told Crimo's father drove up, spoke with the FBI and made a call to his son, leaving a voicemail that the feds wanted to talk to him, the witnesses said.

A 4th of July parade was the site of yet another mass shooting ... this time in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

The parade started at 10 AM CT and 10 minutes in ... gunshots rang out and an unknown number of people were hit.

Cell phone videos show the panic among parade-goers ... as they scrambled for safety, not knowing which way to turn.

A Chicago Sun-Times reporter says he saw blankets covering 3 bodies that appeared bloodied. One parade-goer says he counted more than 20 shots.

There are unconfirmed reports of 9 people shot. We do not know the extent of their injuries or if anyone was killed.

The scene was chaotic ... people ran for cover, leaving their baby strollers and blankets. They seemed confused at first, but quickly realized this was the scene of yet another mass shooting.

Police responded quickly and were quick to pull out their rifles and other firearms and equipment ... looking for the shooter.

At the time of this post, the shooter had not been identified or captured.

Story developing.

Harry Styles is devastated by the mass shooting in Copenhagen, where he was supposed to perform just hours later.

Harry canceled his concert Sunday ... after a gunman opened fire at Field's shopping centre, which is less than 2 football fields in distance away from the venue where Harry was supposed to perform later that night.

Harry said he was feeling utter "devastation" ... "I'm heartbroken along with the people of Copenhagen. I adore this city. The people are so warm and full of love."

He went on ... "I'm devastated for the victims, their families, and everyone hurting. I'm sorry we couldn't be together. Please look after each other. H."

Police say the shooter was a 22-year-old Danish man, and they believe he acted alone. Authorities have not ruled out terrorism.

The gunman entered the mall with a rifle and then began firing randomly at people inside the mall.

Jayland Walker was shot and killed by cops in Ohio last week -- and video of the incident was just released ... confirming accounts that he'd been hit by dozens of bullets.

The 25-year-old was pursued in a police chase early Monday morning in Akron, where officers attempted to pull him over, citing a traffic violation. Walker didn't stop and led cops on a bit of a lengthy chase through the city, with multiple units being called in to help.

Akron Police says officers heard a gunshot ring out from Walker's vehicle as they followed him -- and they claim surveillance video from the area shows a muzzle flash coming from inside his car, leading officers to believe he was armed ... which they announced to dispatch.

Eventually, Walker stopped and fled by foot with a ski mask on ... with officers telling him to halt and surrender. They say they tried using Tasers on him, but the efforts failed.

Walker continued running, but finally stopped and turned around ... at which point several officers opened fire, gunning him down. In the end, the ME says he was hit at least 60 times.

Cops say they tried life-saving measures when they stopped firing -- but Walker died on the scene. Ultimately, he was found to be unarmed there on the ground ... but cops say they discovered a handgun and a loaded magazine in his vehicle upon a subsequent search.

8 officers who were involved in the shooting have been on administrative leave pending an investigation. Protests have taken place in Akron for about a week, crying foul over his killing. On top of an internal probe over this, the DOJ says it's looking into it as well.

The city of Akron canceled its 4th of July firework show this weekend in the wake of the shooting. LeBron James -- who's famously from Akron -- tweeted Sunday, "I pray for my city."

One of the elements of this story that has outraged the community and beyond is how Walker was found after he'd been shot. Reports say when the ME arrived, he was found lying on his back in handcuffs ... with wounds on his face, abdomen and upper legs.

A woman trying to make her way into Diddy's BET after-party was arrested outside the mogul's house after she allegedly flashed a gun at other partygoers.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the woman was in her car near Diddy's house and a security checkpoint for the event very early Monday morning, and got pissed off that other cars weren't clearing out of her way fast enough. We're told she pulled out the weapon and waved it at folks she believed to be causing the delay.

Police were called and they rushed to the scene, where they found the 30-year-old woman had already been detained by Diddy's security team. Cops searched her car and found a loaded handgun.

A source at the party tells us the woman was not invited to the party, and more importantly -- never made her way inside the event. We're told she was trying to make her way past the first security checkpoint when the incident occurred.

She was taken into custody and booked for possession of a loaded firearm -- she was later released on her own recognizance. Thankfully, no one was injured in the dust-up.

Now that Lil Tjay's turned a corner in his recovery, Bobby Shmurda sees an opportunity for the tragic incident to become a teachable moment for other artists coming up in the game.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the news ... the "FN" rapper's doing considerably better after suffering multiple gunshot wounds in an NJ shooting. We shared that info with Bobby when we spotted him at LAX, and he had a pretty insightful reaction.

Of course, he wished Tjay well, but he also addressed the reality of the situation: growing up in the "trenches" as Lil Tjay did makes it near impossible to have a "normal" existence.

Being a fellow New York rapper, Bobby can relate to the dangerous situations Lil Tjay faces. After blowing up with his own hit "Hot N****" single in 2014, he would go on to serve 7 years in prison for conspiracy charges.

As we reported ... Lil Tjay and 2 others were victims in a botched robbery that left one of the accused assailants also hospitalized with gunshot injuries.

Bobby says younger rappers should focus on positivity and smiling whenever they can, because you never know who you're gonna run into on the streets.

DDG's celebrating a big legal victory -- he's no longer facing charges for illegal gun possession -- and it's perfect timing, as the platinum-selling rapper has a big summer tour.

We spoke to DDG's manager, Dimitri Hurt ... who tells TMZ Hip Hop the new California gun laws allowing for more concealed weapons also played into the District Attorney's decision to reject the case and not pursue charges.

An excited DDG took to Instagram to celebrate the news, thanking Dimitri and jokingly calling vlogger Charleston White his "lawyer" in Akademiks comment section ... but it's actually Dimitri.

TMZ Hip Hop broke open the story ... LAPD pulled over DDG on June 7 for allegedly speeding and swerving in his Lambo, and he admitted having a loaded firearm in the whip.

Dimitri says DDG did make the honest mistake of speeding to a video shoot with the firearm, but with the charges dropped, he's now clear to travel for work.

This week, it's onward to Europe for the U.K.'s 2022 Wireless Fest, a Rolling Loud Portugal ... followed by shows in Amsterdam, Germany, Denmark and Poland as they make their way back to the U.S.

Ludacris' manager, Chaka Zulu, was scared for his life, and actually fired back, allegedly in self-defense, during the Atlanta shooting that's left the music honcho in critical condition.

We've spoken with multiple sources who have viewed surveillance footage recorded Sunday outside the APT 4B restaurant. We're told Chaka, his assistant and another friend were leaving an event, walking through the parking lot when Chaka was approached by another man.

Our sources say, in the video, Chaka and the other man start exchanging words, but things escalate, and the conversation becomes visually more intense ... all while the other man allegedly keeps his hand on and around his waistband.

We're told at one point, a female bystander pushed the other man away from Chaka, but he didn't back down ... and then things really got intense when Chaka approaches the man again, who seemingly bumps Chaka with his chest, and Chaka grabs the man by the collar.

From there, our sources say, a group of about 3 or 4 other men -- who'd been standing in the parking lot with the man confronting Chaka -- get involved, rushing in, and knocking Chaka to the ground with a punch followed by kicks and stomps.

We're told one guy in the group makes his way between 2 vehicles, produces a gun, and fires at least 2 shots. Our sources say Chaka, who was also armed, can then be seen getting back on his feet and firing at least one shot in return.

TMZ obtained the dramatic 911 call from the scene, where a man claiming to be restaurant security works to help Chaka ... who had suffered a gunshot wound in the exchange.

A source close to Chaka tells us he was shot at least once -- the bullet came close to his heart -- and he's currently in critical condition.

As for what started the verbal altercation ... we're told it's unclear, though it might have been some sort of dispute about the man not being allowed entry to a party.

Ludacris’ longtime manager Chaka Zulu is one of 3 victims shot outside an Atlanta restaurant, and now we have audio from the horrific scene ... where some calm, quick thinking saved lives.

In 911 audio from Sunday’s shooting, obtained by TMZ, a man who describes himself as Restaurant 4B’s head of security can be heard calmly describing the extent of Chaka’s injuries ... even as he applied pressure to Chaka's wounds to stop the bleeding.

His calmness is in stark contrast to the noise in the background, which was absolute pandemonium.

The caller says Chaka was shot in the upper torso and, at one point, he can be heard raising his voice in an effort to keep Chaka conscious until medics can arrive.

He may very well have saved Chaka’s life. The musician’s family released a statement on Monday saying Chaka had successful surgery and is now in stable condition.

A man who has already been arrested for stalking Ariana Grande has been arrested again ... this time after breaking into her Montecito home on her 29th birthday.

Aharon Brown has a history of dogging Ariana. He was arrested last September at her L.A. home after showing up with a large hunting knife, allegedly screaming at her security, "I'll f***ing kill you and her!" He was arrested for making criminal threats and a judge issued a restraining order prohibiting him from coming near Ariana.

That did not stop him. He violated the restraining order recently by trying to find Ariana and apparently got close. He was supposed to turn himself in Tuesday for violating the restraining order, but Sunday he traveled to Montecito and broke into her house.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... on Sunday, Brown somehow got into Ariana's Montecito home. She was NOT home at the time, but the security alarm went off and cops showed up and arrested Brown.

Donald Trump was not only in on the January 6th insurrection, he wanted to lead the insurrectionists to the Capitol, and when the Secret Service refused to drive him there, Trump tried to grab the wheel of the Presidential car ... this according to Mark Meadows' right hand aide, Cassidy Hutchinson.

Her testimony is shocking ... the January 6th House Committee called a special session so she could appear and tell her story about the events leading up to the riot.

Hutchinson testified ... Trump became aware on January 6th people in the crowd had weapons and were approaching the Capitol without going through security. She says she overhead Trump respond, "I don't f***ing care if they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me."

She went on to say Trump ordered the Secret Service to remove the metal detector from the area around his speech, presumably so armed protesters would be unfettered to approach the Capitol.

After Trump spoke to the crowd, he got back into The Beast (the presidential limo) and ordered the driver to take him up to the Capitol. The head of the security detail refused to take him, saying it was unsafe. She says Trump responded, "I'm the f***ing President! Take me up to the Capitol now."

When the head of security refused, she says Trump reached forward and grabbed the steering wheel and had to be physically restrained.

She says he then lunged at the head of security and allegedly attempted to go for his throat. Trump was again restrained and the limo proceeded back to The White House.

Hutchinson also testified Trump would often become enraged, throwing plates, pushing over chairs when things didn't go his way.

Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform in an attempt to discredit Hutchinson's testimony ... saying he didn't even know who she was -- and assuming she was only angry with him after being denied permission to travel with staff on a trip to Florida.

John Hinckley -- the man who tried assassinating Ronald Reagan once upon a time -- is feeling remorse for what he did, and is and is now asking for forgiveness.

Hinckley shared his feelings Tuesday on 'CBS Mornings,' offering up condolences to the families that suffered for what he did. He struggles to recall what happened outside the Hilton hotel in D.C. back in 1981, when he shot then-President Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service Agent Tim McCarthy and D.C. cop Thomas Delahanty.

Reagan came within a hair's breadth from dying, and Brady was shot in the head and was confined to a wheelchair with multiple health issues for the rest of his life.

Hinckley says he's glad he failed in his attempt to kill the President.

He says mental illness was behind the act, and a jury agreed ... Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. As for his mental state these days, Hinckley says he's been one of the most scrutinized people in the mental health system.

Hinckley says he'd like forgiveness from all the folks he hurt, including Jodie Foster, with whom he had an obsession and fired the shots to get her attention.

Hinckley was confined to a mental institution until 2016 and won unconditional release just this month. He says he did the interview with CBS so people could see he's not a monster.

Vladimir Putin is showing no mercy ... disgustingly firing missiles into a Ukraine shopping mall, and video following the attack shows the building -- with nearly 1,000 civilians inside -- up in flames.

Two Russian missiles were reportedly fired Monday into the shopping center, in the central city of Kremenchuk. According to officials, at least 3 are dead and 40 others are wounded. But, President Zelensky says, "It is impossible to even imagine the number of victims."

As you can see, the harrowing attack sparked a huge fire and caused a huge cloud of smoke to fill up the sky ... as soldiers and firefighters sifted through the rubble to search for survivors.

Zelensky confirmed the obvious ... that the mall held no military importance, and was not even near any other military target. Quite frankly, as Ukrainian officials put it ... the attack was a downright "act of terrorism against civilians".

Zelensky called it an effort by Russia to stop “people’s attempts to live a normal life, which make the occupiers so angry.”

Russia, on the other hand, has denied attacking innocent civilians since first launching the war on Ukraine, back in February.

Here's video of an armed robbery going down in broad daylight in an affluent Southern California beach town ... with thieves pulling off a smash-and-grab in front of shocked bystanders.

As you can see, nearly a dozen people in ski masks are cleaning out a jewelry store ... then they dash across the street and speed off in three different cars, which were waiting in an alley.

The brazen robbery went down Friday in downtown Manhattan Beach ... with the target Pasha Fine Jewelry, located in the heart of the typically quiet beach community.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department says the suspects used hammers to smash display cases before stuffing merchandise in their bags ... and cops say at least 3 suspects were armed with what appeared to be handguns, though no shots were fired.

Manhattan Beach Mayor Steve Napolitano called it a crime against his entire community ... and he says the police force is going to do everything possible to track down the suspects, prosecute them and throw them in jail. He also says the town will beef up security outside businesses and MB's expensive neighborhoods.