Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, and today’s newsletter will look extensively at what we know and don’t know about the attack on Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade, one of the worst mass shootings in Illinois’ history.

1. Authorities say the attack had been planned for weeks

The suspected gunman appeared to have planned the attack for weeks, wore women’s clothing as a disguise and used a “high-powered” AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle to kill seven people and wound more than 30 others, authorities said today.

The 21-year-old suspect, who has not been charged as of this afternoon, purchased the rifle legally in the Chicago area, according to authorities. He allegedly fired 70 rounds into a crowd at the parade from the roof of a nearby business.

After the attack, the suspect walked to his mother’s house and borrowed her car, which he was driving when he was taken into custody, officials said.

A second rifle was discovered in the car, and authorities said he had pistols in a home in nearby Highwood where he lived. Authorities said all the guns were bought legally.

The suspect was the only person involved in the attack, officials said.

Authorities also today revealed they had two prior contacts with the suspect in 2019: One involved concerns the suspect would commit suicide, and the other was over threats about killing family members.

Police confiscated a set of knives, a dagger and a sword, and no charges were made, authorities said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. What was the suspect’s motive? And other big questions that remain unanswered.

Authorities are still trying to determine a motive, said Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

“We have no information to suggest at this point it was racially motivated, motivated by religion or any other protected status,” he told reporters earlier today.

Highland Park is home to a large Jewish community, and many residents have wondered whether the attack was motivated by antisemitism.

“Nothing overtly we have identified in his social media posts says this was an antisemitic attack, but we are coordinating with law enforcement,” said Michael Masters, chief executive officer of Secure Community Network, which is headquartered in Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Another big question is whether anyone close to the suspect saw any red flags and, if so, what course of action they took.

The suspect, an aspiring rapper, had posted a video online eight months ago that depicted drawings of a man with an assault rifle and a person being shot. The video also shows real-life clips of a man wearing a tactical helmet and vest inside what appears to be a classroom.

As the video plays, the suspect makes several vague statements that are chilling in light of yesterday’s attack.

“I need to leave now. I need to just do it. It is my destiny,” he says. The video and others posted by the suspect have been taken down. [NPR]

3. A grandfather visiting family was among the seven people killed

Officials today released the names of six victims killed in the Highland Park massacre. They included Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting family in Highland Park when he was shot and killed during the Fourth of July parade.

Xochil Toledo, his granddaughter, remembers looking over at her grandfather, who was sitting in the middle of her family, as a band passed them playing music.

“He was so happy,” she said. “Happy to be living in the moment.”

They didn’t realize someone had opened fire on the crowd until bullets started coming toward them, three striking her grandfather and killing him at the scene, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

“He was the one who saved all of our lives. It would have gone to me, my boyfriend or my cousins,” she said. [Sun-Times]

For people dealing with grief after a mass shooting, the federal government’s Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs recently compiled a list of resources for children, families, educators and community members who are seeking help. [Sun-Times]

4. “I was at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade. I saw the horror unfold.”

Lynn Sweet, the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, was at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade when one of the worst mass shootings in Illinois’ history occurred.

Sweet writes that “near a bench in the square, I came upon a pool of blood, ruby red blood. There was so much blood, that the blood puddle was lumpy because so much already coagulated. The shape of the blood — was this a twisted Rorschach test? — looked like a handgun to me.”

“I’m going into this gruesome detail because this is what gun violence from a rapid-fire weapon with an apparent high capacity magazine looks like.” [Sun-Times]

5. A look at gun laws in Illinois

Despite having some of the strictest gun laws in the country, Illinois still permits the purchase of so-called assault rifles, reports my colleague Patrick Smith.

Assault rifles, including the infamous AR-15 used in the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, may be purchased in the state — but not in Cook County or Chicago.

Illinois recently moved to ban so-called ghost guns, becoming the first Midwestern state to outlaw the untraceable weapons. And the state has a law against owning or selling machine guns, defined as a gun that shoots more than one bullet per squeeze of the trigger. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, the GOP nominee for governor, apologized for saying people should “move on” from the deadly attack in Highland Park. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Chicago is seeing a decline in gun violence, but experts say the next couple of months will be crucial. [Chicago Tribune]
• Gov. JB Pritzker delayed a special legislative session aimed at strengthening reproductive rights in Illinois. [Chicago Tribune]
• A heat advisory has been issued for the Chicago area and will last until 8 p.m. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

Reviews are coming in for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder and they’re mixed. The new film has a similar feel as its predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok. Both are directed by Taika Waititi, who helped bring a sense of levity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“The good news, in re: Love and Thunder: Waititi is back, and he’s determined not to reinvent the wheel,” writes NPR critic Glen Weldon.

“The bad news: The wheel’s tire-treads are looking worn.” [NPR]

Tell me something good …

I went on a road trip over the weekend, and some readers emailed me their podcast recommendations. So let’s keep them coming. What’s a good podcast you recently listened to?

Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.