During an arraignment hearing at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Wednesday at 11 a.M., The suspected shooter responsible for a mass shooting at Highland Park’s Fourth of July Parade, which resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and caused injuries to over 40 people, pleaded not guilty. The individual, who was dressed in a blue prison attire and wore a blue mask, entered the plea.
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According to the Office of the Attorney in the State County of Lake, the defendant, Robert Crimo III, who is currently being represented by a public defender, is facing a total of 117 counts, including 21 counts of first-degree murder for each victim killed in the shooting.
Prosecutors have stated that he is facing 48 charges of attempted murder and 48 charges of aggravated battery with a firearm for each individual who was hit by a bullet, bullet fragment, or shrapnel.
If he is convicted of discharging a weapon, which would be served consecutively, prosecutors say he could face an additional 25 years. The suspect faces life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder charges.
His upcoming court hearing is set for November 1st.
Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Strauss, 88; Kevin McCarthy, 37; Irina McCarthy, 35; and Katherine Goldstein, 64 lost their lives to the alleged shooter who is believed to have ascended a fire escape at a business along the suburban Chicago parade route and discharged over 70 rounds from the rooftop using a high-caliber, assault-style firearm.
Severing his spinal cord and hitting him in the abdomen, a bullet left Cooper Roberts, an 8-year-old boy, paralyzed from the waist down, consequently leaving 2-year-old Aiden McCarthy without parents and causing injuries to over 40 other individuals in the shooting incident.
Christopher Covelli, the spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, stated that the suspect had legally purchased a high-powered rifle and is believed to have had several weeks to plan the attack.
Covelli stated, “we believe the suspect is innocent and it will take several weeks to plan the attack.” The opening of the Independence Day celebration began with a fire on a business roof, which the suspect accessed by using a ladder to escape. He brought a high-powered rifle to this parade.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but authorities said that another rifle was found in the vehicle he was driving at the time of his arrest, and a gun was found at the scene. They were legally purchased and registered under his name.
After less than three years, the police went to the suspect’s home following a call from a family member who said he was threatening to kill everyone there.
There was no indication that he possessed any firearms, although he mentioned the presence of a dagger and a sword. In September 2019, the police seized 16 knives, as stated by Covelli at that particular moment.
In April 2019, law enforcement also addressed a reported suicide endeavor by the individual in question, as stated by Covelli.
Covelli stated that the suspect lawfully acquired the rifle utilized in the assault in Illinois within the previous year. Law enforcement mentioned that he bought five firearms, which were retrieved by officers at his father’s residence.
The gunman, who applied for a license to issue gun licenses for the state of Illinois, said that his father sponsored his application and he was only 19 years old when he applied for the license in December 2019.
“At the time, there was an insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger, so the police state denied the application.”
The police state that the suspect, who passed a series of background checks and has no criminal charges on his record, was found to have no criminal charges on his record and was issued a citation for minor possession of tobacco, aside from that.