The father of mass shooting suspect Robert Crimo III will go to trial on Nov. 6 for helping his son obtain a gun license three years before he allegedly shot and killed seven people at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago.
Robert Crimo Jr. faces seven counts of reckless conduct, one for each person killed during the mass shooting in Highland Park last year. He was arrested in December and has since denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors have said that Crimo Jr. was “criminally reckless” when he signed his son’s application for an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification card — which is required to purchase a gun in the state — despite recent threats and his history with violence.
In April 2019, his then-19-year-old son attempted suicide by machete. Months later, in September 2019, he was accused by a family member of making threats to “kill everyone,” according to authorities. Yet, despite both of these incidents, the younger Crimo was able to purchase five firearms, all of them sponsored by his father.
On July 4, 2022, Crimo III allegedly used a “high-powered rifle” to open fire from a rooftop on revelers enjoying a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, a wealthy Chicago suburb. He escaped the mayhem by dressing like a woman and covering his bizarre face tattoos, but he was ultimately arrested by authorities the following day.
A grand jury indicted Crimo III last year on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery, representing the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the attack. He pleaded not guilty in August.
His trial date has not yet been set.