Jury selection is scheduled to start on Monday for the trial of a man from Illinois who reportedly shot at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park in 2022. The incident resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and left many others injured.
Robert Crimo III faces more than 100 charges, including 21 counts of first degree murder, as CrimeOnline reported.
The trial of Crimo has faced delays on multiple occasions. Initially, the delays were a result of his desire to dismiss his appointed public defenders and represent himself, a choice he later revoked. Subsequently, another delay occurred when he reneged on a plea agreement that involved admitting guilt to roughly half of the charges, as per WMAQ.
In November 2023, Robert Crimo Jr., the father of the accused, pleaded guilty to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct. This was in relation to assisting his son in purchasing the rifle that was used in the tragic event, despite a family member alerting the authorities about Crimo III expressing intentions to harm others and himself. Crimo Jr. expressed his affection for his son and his backing of the decision to proceed to trial in this matter.
“Like any human being in this country, Bobby deserves the presumption of innocence and a fair trial,” Crimo Jr. said in his statement. N”o matter what happens, you will always be my son.”
Investigators say surveillance footage and witnesses will show how Crimo III climbed a fire escape and opened fire, then escaped the scene disguised as a woman, likely an attempt to hide his obvious facial tattoos. Authorities say he confessed to police but has now retracted that confession.
After the shooting, Crimo III walked to his mother’s nearby home and borrowed her car, apparently intending to go to another holiday celebration in Wisconsin and kill more people, but he changed his mind and returned to Illinois.
Killed in the attack were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Irina McCarthy, 35; Kevin McCarthy, 37; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69.
