The 21-year-old suspect who allegedly opened fire on Independence Day parade attendees at Highland Park, Illinois, on Monday, was wearing women’s clothing during the mass shooting, police said Tuesday.
“During the attack, [redacted] was dressed in women’s clothing,” said Sgt. Christopher Covelli, of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, FOX 10 reported.
Per Daily Wire policy, the suspected shooter will not be named.
“Investigators do believe he did this to conceal his facial tattoos and his identity and help him during the escape with the other people who were fleeing the chaos,” Covelli added.
After the attack, the shooter walked to his mother’s house, where he borrowed her vehicle, the report noted. He was later spotted while driving her car by a member of the community and captured by police.
The “random” and “intentional” attack left six dead and dozens more hospitalized.
The Daily Wire reported Monday that the FBI described the then-person of interest as a white male with brown hair, weighing 120 pounds and standing 5’11” tall. He was also said to have several tattoos, including one on his right cheek, his neck, and cursive script about his left eyebrow.
The suspect reportedly has a YouTube page under the handle “Awake the Rapper.” One video from the suspect shows a pencil drawing of a person gunning down a crowd in between a montage of shots featuring the suspect backed by cinematic-like music.
Other documentation of the suspect shows him wearing a Trump flag around his neck, wearing a black hat with FBI embroidered in white, and smoking Camel cigarettes, The Daily Wire noted. He can also be seen at a Trump parade, where he was dressed like “Waldo” from the “Where’s Waldo” cartoon book series.
Notably, though, a Twitter account using the alleged suspect’s artist name shows “likes” indicating support for arresting Trump supporters who protested the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and rioted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“He’s a quiet kid,” the suspect’s uncle told CNN on Monday. “He’s usually on his own. He’s a lonely, quiet person. He keeps everything to himself.”
A previous version of this article said the suspect is 22-years-old. He is 21-years-old.
Brandon Drey contributed to this report
Related: Here’s What We Know About The Alleged Highland Park Parade Shooter