Into the Madness

A Killer’s Game, a Woman’s Obsession, a Dark Conspiracy

By: Trevor Aaronson

Narrated by: Trevor Aaronson

On July 4, 2022, a shooter climbed onto a rooftop in Highland Park, Illinois, and opened fire on a Fourth of July parade below, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. Prosecutors charged Robert “Bobby” Crimo III with the mass shooting. But this attack was part of something even more insidious. Bobby had created an elaborate game—complete with cryptic videos, a book of numbers, and an eerie online presence—designed to seed a conspiracy theory about the massacre.

Into the Madness is a deep dive into the events leading up to the mass shooting and the story of a woman who became a confidant to Crimo and the final player in his game. Drawing from dozens of interviews and more than 48 hours of recorded calls with Bobby, investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson tells a story that will challenge everything you think you know about mass shootings, conspiracy theories, and the fragile boundary between reality and illusion.

The series explores the rise of nihilistic violence, the role of technology in fostering extremism, and America’s collective descent into conspiracy thinking. Into the Madness will leave you questioning where the truth ends—and the madness begins.

Into the Madness is an Audible Original, produced by Trevor Aaronson and Western Sound.

Warning: This program contains graphic descriptions of violence and death, as well as recordings of a man accused of committing mass murder. Listener discretion is advised.

©2025 Trevor Aaronson (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.

Have you noticed more people believing in nothing?

Have you noticed the rise in nihilism, people who don’t believe anything is true and refuse to stand for anything? Using one of the most extreme cases of this, Trevor Aaronson expertly dissects how even a bright, promising young man can slip into this madness. In the process, he also ends up explaining a lot about our warped modern world.

Enjoyed

My only issue is the Authors theory on conspiracy theories is very one sided.

Intriguing - nicely put together

I was hooked from the start
I cannot relate to anyone in the story so it has me screaming “ are u serious?” So much. In a good way. I do not want to give spoilers but great job on the reporting. Really enjoyed this as disturbing as the topic was

The Madness

This is a crazy and sad story. That is all I have to say about this young man.

Finished in a Day

Finished in a day because I couldn’t stop listening. Makes me really want to delve more into the causes behind such horrible events, which I’ve found myself trying to understand more. Hopefully science can find some more solutions to help prevent them. The title is worth listening to, especially if you enjoy Audible Originals. It had a few frustrating moments, which I think any good story will, but it didn’t take away from anything. Will be adding to my recommendations for others.