Highland Park suspect’s gun collection allegedly included foldable rifle its maker says ‘picks up where handguns leave off’

The manufacturer of a foldable rifle owned by accused Highland Park shooter Robert Crimo III describes the weapon as “Light/Compact/Effective” on its website.

The Kel-Tec Sub2000 semi-automatic carbine appears to be the weapon police said they found in the suspect’s mother’s car, which Crimo was driving when he was arrested Monday.

Lake County sheriff’s police said Crimo bought the firearm in 2020 after the Illinois State Police approved his state firearm owner’s identification card.

Police say the weapon fired from a Highland Park rooftop, a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic M&P15 rifle, was left at the crime scene.

But prosecutors said Crimo drove to Madison, Wisconsin, with a second rifle and had considered shooting more people after he allegedly opened fire earlier that morning on crowds gathered to watch the Highland Park Fourth of July parade.

Kel-Tec says the gun is able to shoot either 9-mm or .40-caliber ammunition and “picks up where handguns leave off.”

The manufacturer advertises that the weapon is simple to operate and can be broken down so that it can be easily stored in a backpack.

“Folded, it tucks away nicely in situations where space is limited, but it’s quick to deploy in situations where time is of the essence,” according to a description on the gunmaker’s website.

A photo of the folding rifle released by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force Wednesday appears to show Crimo’s gun was found inside a backpack.

Lake County police say that in 2020 Crimo also brought a Remington 700 bolt action rifle — popular among hunters and target shooters who value its power and long range — as well as a Falcon International Arms Citadel Warthog shotgun and the Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifle that police say he used in the attack.

The next year, Crimo purchased a Glock 43X 9 mm handgun, officials said.

Seven people died from the July Fourth mass shooting — one of the worst in the state’s history — and at least three dozen more were wounded, including an 8-year-old boy who remains in critical condition with a severed spinal cord.

Contributing: Frank Main