Tipsheet

Of Course, Eric Swalwell's Remarks About the Highland Park Shooter Were Marinated in Idiocy

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) took a break from his Chinese spy side piece to drop some commentary about the recent mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. It was so bad that he was trending on Twitter. Robert E. Crimo III opened fire from a rooftop on a Fourth of July Parade, killing seven people and wounding 47 more. He was apprehended hours later on the same day, but this event, plus other shootings across the country, capped off a rather tragic and bloody Fourth of July weekend. Sadly, in Chicago, this is not unexpected news. For Highland Park, a wealthy Chicago suburb, this was a horrific shock. 

Well, Rep. Swally decided to use this shooting to attack his political enemies, tweeting:

“Robert E. Crimo III was a 22 yr old Trump supporter who was able to legally purchase deadly military-style weapons without background checks because that is what Pro-Killer Republicans in Congress have allowed him to do.”

Now, we should expect this coming from a person who is just as braindead as Joe Biden. 

First, we don't know if Crimo's a Trump supporter. Don't fall for the drive-by media here. The Buffalo mass shooter, Payton Gendron, was declared a right-winger and conservative even though his 180-page manifesto clearly says he hates conservatives. He was a left-wing eco-fascist with white supremacist views. If that confuses you, you're not alone. Gendron and Crimo share the common thread that both were afflicted by mental health issues. Conservative commentator Dana Loesch was not going to allow Swalwell off the hook. She noted that Crimo bought this firearm legally—another common trait in mass shootings. He did go through a background check. Sporting rifles have been banned in Highland Park for quite some time. 

I'll also add that Illinois has a red flag law, so everything in this tweet Swally posted is just wrong—no shock. Yet, he is just doing his job. Swalwell represents a constituency of complete idiots, so they probably ate this up.

In the meantime, we have more details about Crimo and how he planned this attack weeks in advance and dressed as a woman to disguise himself (via WaPo): 

Authorities said Tuesday that a 21-year-old who attacked a suburban Independence Day parade outside Chicago plotted “for several weeks” before opening fire, attempted to conceal his identity by wearing women’s clothing and then blended in with the crowds fleeing the carnage.

Six people were killed and dozens injured during the shooting rampage in Highland Park, Ill., which sent terrified revelers scrambling for safety and spurred an hours-long manhunt. Police identified the shooting suspect as Robert Crimo III, of nearby Highwood, Ill. He was taken into custody hours after the shooting but had not been charged with a crime by midday Tuesday.

During the shooting, the attacker brought “a high-powered rifle" to the roof of a business overlooking the parade and fired more than 70 rounds, Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, said during a news briefing Tuesday.

Covelli said investigators believe the attacker had donned women’s clothing to conceal his facial tattoos and identity and enable him to escape with the fleeing parade attendees. That tactic apparently worked, Covelli said, as the gunman did disappear into the crowds.

Crimo was known to law enforcement, posted numerous violent videos that reportedly garnered tons of views, and had mental health issues that went as far back as middle school. Red flags were everywhere…again. How authorities weed these guys out is a different debate, one that will take time as the laws on the books are horribly behind technology right now. What we do know is that everything Democrats want in new gun control bills wouldn't have stopped the shooting. Then again, the total destruction of the Second Amendment and gun confiscation is their endgame.