Accused Highland Park killer Robert Crimo was allegedly ‘sizing up’ synagogue over Passover

“Goth” accused Highland Park shooter Robert “Bobby” Crimo III was “definitely sizing up” a local synagogue when he was confronted there during Passover, its security boss says.

The house of worship’s security chief, Martin Blumenthal, told Forward that he was immediately suspicious of the distinctive-looking 21-year-old when the suspect arrived at the city’s Chabad synagogue dressed all black “in the goth style,” including gloves.

“I profiled him. I knew what he was up to,” said Blumenthal, who remembered even squeezing Crimo’s knapsack to make sure there were no weapons inside.

“He was definitely sizing up the synagogue,” the volunteer security chief insisted.

Crimo’s April visit during the last day of Passover was first revealed by the Chabad’s leader, Rabbi Yosef Schanowitz, who said he had “sternly asked him to leave.”

Blumenthal said he immediately approached the suspicious-looking visitor as at least 125 people were inside Central Avenue Synagogue.

“He said his name was Bobby and he lived in the neighborhood,” the rabbi said of the name the suspected shooter is known to use.

Despite fearing that Crimo was “sizing up” the synagogue, Blumenthal said, he felt unable to throw him out or report it to the police because he “didn’t cause a disturbance or anything.

“So I was just watching him … I watched him the whole time,” he said, estimating that Crimo sat in the sanctuary for about 45 minutes before leaving by bike.

The synagogue was on the Chicago suburb’s Fourth of July parade route — and just blocks from where Crimo is accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens more by firing from a rooftop. Authorities have said they have no motive yet for the slaughter.

Blumenthal said he reported the synagogue visit to authorities as soon as he saw Crimo was the suspect in Monday’s bloodbath.

Crimo had for several years been an occasional attendee at the local Christ Church, an official confirmed to the Chicago Tribune.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli insisted Tuesday that there is “no indication to suggest at this point that [Monday’s attack] was racially motivated, motivated by religion.”