INTERNET sleuths have claimed that a suspected gunman's face tattoo could be linked to a July 4 parade shooting that left six people dead.
Robert Crimo III has been named as a person of interest following the massacre in Illinois and pictures shared online reveal the 22-year-old has the number 47 inked on his temple.
Dozens of social media users have speculated about the potential hidden meaning of the cryptic tattoo.
Several have referenced that the shooting took place on July 4.
One person said: “It’s July 4 backwards.”
While another commented: “Think about it this way… 7th month. 4th day.”
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It has been reported that Crimo was a fan of video games, according to the Daily Beast.
The chilling artwork could be a reference to Agent 47 – the protagonist in the IO Interactive game Hitman.
The fictional character carries out hits on criminals on behalf of theInternational Contract Agency (ICA).
One person claimed Crimo had the tattoo inked because of his “fascination” with the game.
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Crimo has been pictured wearing a black suit and a red tie, which looks similar to the agent’s attire.
Sleuths have also speculated if the tattoo was a reference to an AK-47 assault rifle.
He also has a tattoo above his eyebrow that reads “Awake”.
Crimo reportedly had a verified profile on Spotify and was known as Awake the Rapper.
It appears that his account has since been removed.
The Independence Day chaos saw six people killed and dozens left injured.
Gunshots rang out just 10 minutes after the parade started and beach chairs, baby strollers, and backpacks were found strewn across the grounds as revelers fled in terror.
Witnesses said they heard up to 25 gunshots as they tried to take cover.
Grandfather Nicolas Toledo, 73, has been identified as being among the victims.
His grandson David told ABC News: “My grandpa was a funny man. He'd always joke around and be playful with his grandkids. He arrived [in] the U.S. in the '80s and worked around the Highland Park area for many years.
His granddaughter Xochil Toledo said that he was sitting in his wheelchair when bullets started flying.
She told WBEZ that her dad tried to “shield” her granddad.
Xochil said: “We were all in shock. We were crying. We couldn’t believe all that happened. We couldn’t breathe.”
Construction worker Alexander Sandoval, 39, said he put his son and his little brother in a dumpster to escape the chaos.
He told the New York Times that he was enjoying the parade when gunfire erupted.
He said: “When it started happening, I thought it was the Navy saluting the flag. Then I grabbed my kid and we ran and tried to break a store window to get away from it.”
'MOMMY HAS BEEN SHOT'
He tried to punch down the door of a closed business as he tried to escape before putting two kids in a dumpster.
And. Aleks Macys, 53, revealed she drove a woman who had been shot in the head to the hospital.
She said the woman’s daughter, who hasn’t been named, was crying: “Mommy has been shot.”
Michelle Bernstein told the New York Times that her daughters were at friends’ homes and she ordered them to remain indoors until the shooter had been caught.
A little boy was found alone and covered in blood during the parade, however, he has since been reunited with his grandparents.
A local chef found the boy and kept him safe as it was unclear at first if he had attended the parade with his parents or grandparents.
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The shooting was the second to rock Illinois within hours.
Around 12 hours before, five people were injured after being gunned down in Chicago’s South Side district.
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