Highland Park shooter was ‘always last to be picked up from school’ with his brother, coach reveals

Highland Park shooter Bobby Crimo and his younger brother were often left behind at their afterschool program because their ‘flighty’ mom forgot to pick them up or their dad was at work, DailyMail.com can reveal. 

Crimo, 21, attended Lincoln Elementary School with his younger brother Sam. Between 2008 and 2014, they attended the LEAP afterschool program. 

Jeremy Cahnmann, 47, was a sports coach in the program. He told DailyMail.com how out of hundreds of kids he taught over the years, the Crimo brothers stood out because their parents often left them behind. 

He said it ‘of course’ did not explain why he committed such violence yesterday, but that the constant occurrences likely made him feel neglected as a child. 

It’s unclear when the shooter’s parents separated but they no longer live together; Crimo’s father, Bob, is a local deli owner and one-time mayoral candidate.

His mother Denise is an ‘alternative healer’. 

Cahnmann remembers the father often being tied up at work or forgetting to make arrangements for Bobby and his younger brother. 

Bobby Crimo, 21, (right) with his little brother Sam (left). The pair attended Lincoln Elementary School and between 2008 and 2014, they attended the LEAP afterschool program. They were routinely the last kids to be picked up, according to coaches who taught them

Sam, Lynette and Bobby. Staff said Bobby and Sam were ‘quiet and reserved’ at afterschool sports programs 

Highland Park shooter Bobby Crimo, right, with his mom Denise (main in red), half-sister Lynette (second left) and younger brother Sam in a 2017 photo 

‘Bobby and his brother were always the last ones. Either somebody forgot or they were busy. 

‘The father had a business, a deli. He was routinely late or the mom was routinely late. It ended up getting to the point where they had words with the faculty advisor. 

‘Nobody could get a hold of anyone in that house,’ he said. 

He added that Bobby and his younger brother seemed to get along and never caused any problems in the program, but that they were ‘quiet’.   

‘He was a little more reserved and shy but certainly there was no sort of indication of anything sinister. 

‘The problem was more with the parents than the kids,’ he said. 

Crimo’s parents have not yet commented on yesterday’s horrors. 

He dressed up as a woman to carry out the attack then used his disguise to hide in plain sight among frightened paradegoers as they tried to flee. 

Crimo then went to his mom’s house and borrowed her car. 

Police on Tuesday said they had no indication that she knew he was the shooter when she agreed to let him take the vehicle.

Bobby with his older half-sister Lynette. She has not yet commented on the massacre 

The shooter’s father Bob Crimo was ‘hardworking’ and ‘nice enough’ but always late, according to the coaches

He then drove out of Highland Park and managed to evade police for eight hours before being apprehended. 

Now, he is in the custody of the FBI. 

Crimo’s father Bob, who runs a local deli, has not commented either. 

Canhmann said he remembered him as a hardworking father who was ‘nice enough’ but who irritated staff by not being there to pick up his kids on time. 

‘What I remember of him he was a hardworking guy, he was nice enough but you know, it was problematic that he wasn’t there or he didn’t make arrangements.’ 

The shooter’s mom Denise. She gave him her car after the massacre, seemingly unaware that he was the culprit 

The two brothers have an older half-sister, Lynette, who has not commented on the killings either. 

LEAP afterschool coach Jeremy Cahnmann, 47,

Sam, the younger brother, has not been seen or heard from either. 

‘When I first heard it was him, it was like “holy f**k. I know that kid”. 

‘Then the first thing I did was reach out to someone I’m friendly with. I said “was the father the one that ran bob’s deli and they were the ones that always were late. 

‘I did these programs for 8 years and had hundreds of kids. There are probably about half a dozen I remember and most for good reason. This one, the reason that he stuck out was not because of him but the parents. I thought that it was an interesting thing.’ 

The FBI is trying to identify the shooter’s motive but they have not yet been able to pin one down.

Little is known about Crimo’s high school career, whether or not he graduated, and what he spent the last few years doing aside from making amateur rap videos. 

One such video was inside a school classroom and glamorized shooting. 

He is said to have had a job at Panera Bread before the pandemic, but it’s unclear what that role was or why it ended.