Omnibus: America’s July 4 shootings
- Thread starter Tecumsehsbones
- Start date
To bad the father didn’t have a Glock and shoot the C*#%
Don't know why it's such a big deal. Everyone has guns now so SOME guy that's good with a gun will stop the shooter. And if not, who cares anyway, just another day in the USA.
Celebrating our freedom, I guess.
Not doing a very bloody good job of it. One wounded.
Cletus is a lousy shot.
Highland Park parade shooting left 8-year-old boy with severed spinal cord
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Christopher Walljasper and Steve Gorman
Publishing date:Jul 07, 2022 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
CHICAGO — An 8-year-old boy suffered a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade that left seven dead, a family spokesman said on Thursday, with his twin brother and mother also wounded.
Cooper Roberts was one of the most gravely wounded among dozens of people who survived gunshots and other injuries in the Highland Park Independence Day assault, underscoring physical and emotional devastation that goes beyond the lives lost in such violence.
He was listed on Thursday in critical but stable condition while still breathing on a ventilator, a family spokesman said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of at least 46 people sent to hospitals after the attack have since been released.
Cooper’s twin brother, Luke, was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds in his lower body but discharged after doctors removed some of the debris. The boys’ mother, Keely Roberts, suffered gunshot wounds to her legs and feet, the spokesman, Anthony Loizzi, told reporters on a Zoom call.
The twins attended the parade with both parents, with the father, Jason Roberts, unhurt.
Due to the severity of his spinal cord injury, doctors are unsure whether Cooper will ever walk again, according to Loizzi, a colleague of the mother, who is superintendent of a Lake County elementary school district.
Cooper, a normally “very active” child with a passion for baseball and other sports, has remained unconscious and under sedation since he was airlifted to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, Loizzi said.
The mother, who underwent at least two surgeries herself, was so distraught at Cooper’s condition that she insisted on being released on Wednesday, sooner than doctors felt was best until her bleeding was under greater control, in order to be with her son at the children’s hospital, Loizzi said.
The boy has undergone several operations, including one on Wednesday night in which surgeons “finally closed his belly,” the spokesman said.
Although not informed about the specifics of Cooper’s prognosis, Loizzi told reporters the boy’s mother and an adult sister spoke about how “it will be a new normal for him going forward.”
“He’s fighting as hard as he can,” Loizzi said of the boy’s recovery. The family as a whole, including four adult sisters, were “devastated but focusing their energy on Cooper,” he said.
“It’s been a very emotional time for everyone in their circle,” he said, adding he did not know whether Luke had yet been apprised of the severity of his twin’s condition.
Loizzi said both boys “loved the parade” and had attended the event in the past, but he did not know where along the parade route they were when the gunshots were fired.
Friends of the family established a GoFundMe page seeking to help address their medical bills.
The Roberts were not the only family suffering multiple casualties from the bloodshed in Highland Park, Illinois.
Among those killed were Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, whose 2-year-old son was found wandering unhurt physically, but alone and orphaned after the attack.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Christopher Walljasper and Steve Gorman
Publishing date:Jul 07, 2022 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
CHICAGO — An 8-year-old boy suffered a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade that left seven dead, a family spokesman said on Thursday, with his twin brother and mother also wounded.
Cooper Roberts was one of the most gravely wounded among dozens of people who survived gunshots and other injuries in the Highland Park Independence Day assault, underscoring physical and emotional devastation that goes beyond the lives lost in such violence.
He was listed on Thursday in critical but stable condition while still breathing on a ventilator, a family spokesman said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of at least 46 people sent to hospitals after the attack have since been released.
Cooper’s twin brother, Luke, was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds in his lower body but discharged after doctors removed some of the debris. The boys’ mother, Keely Roberts, suffered gunshot wounds to her legs and feet, the spokesman, Anthony Loizzi, told reporters on a Zoom call.
The twins attended the parade with both parents, with the father, Jason Roberts, unhurt.
Due to the severity of his spinal cord injury, doctors are unsure whether Cooper will ever walk again, according to Loizzi, a colleague of the mother, who is superintendent of a Lake County elementary school district.
Cooper, a normally “very active” child with a passion for baseball and other sports, has remained unconscious and under sedation since he was airlifted to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, Loizzi said.
The mother, who underwent at least two surgeries herself, was so distraught at Cooper’s condition that she insisted on being released on Wednesday, sooner than doctors felt was best until her bleeding was under greater control, in order to be with her son at the children’s hospital, Loizzi said.
The boy has undergone several operations, including one on Wednesday night in which surgeons “finally closed his belly,” the spokesman said.
Although not informed about the specifics of Cooper’s prognosis, Loizzi told reporters the boy’s mother and an adult sister spoke about how “it will be a new normal for him going forward.”
“He’s fighting as hard as he can,” Loizzi said of the boy’s recovery. The family as a whole, including four adult sisters, were “devastated but focusing their energy on Cooper,” he said.
“It’s been a very emotional time for everyone in their circle,” he said, adding he did not know whether Luke had yet been apprised of the severity of his twin’s condition.
Loizzi said both boys “loved the parade” and had attended the event in the past, but he did not know where along the parade route they were when the gunshots were fired.
Friends of the family established a GoFundMe page seeking to help address their medical bills.
The Roberts were not the only family suffering multiple casualties from the bloodshed in Highland Park, Illinois.
Among those killed were Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, whose 2-year-old son was found wandering unhurt physically, but alone and orphaned after the attack.
Highland Park parade shooting left 8-year-old boy with severed spinal cord
An 8-year-old boy suffered a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade.
Boy, 8, Paralyzed In Highland Park Shooting Awake, Asking For Twin
Cooper Roberts' spine was severed in horrific mass shooting on Fourth of July.
Gods, this poor family.
It's the price we (read: they) pay for freedom.Boy, 8, Paralyzed In Highland Park Shooting Awake, Asking For Twin
Cooper Roberts' spine was severed in horrific mass shooting on Fourth of July.www.huffpost.com
Gods, this poor family.
A sacrifice the gun nuts are happy to make.
No, here's the fucking truth.
They're not willing to give up their AR-15 Rambo guns, even for perfectly serviceable M1 Garands (the gun that won World War II) or Winchester lever-action rifles (the gun that won the West, and that Zehauf-Bibeau used to murder Cpl Cirillo, in case you wondered about it's effectiveness).
The only sane conclusion is they WANT mass murderers to be able to put 100+ rounds downrange in less than a minute, as long as they can have their surrogate penises.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I own a Browning BAR Mk III DBM, which is clip-fed and uses 10-round clips that can be rapidly changed, and a Kel-Tec SUB-2000 pistol-caliber carbine with 30-round clips. And as soon as we smarten up, I will turn them in without compensation and get me a bolt-action or lever-action rifle. And I'll turn in my Glock semi-auto pistols and get a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver (I already have a snub-nose Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, like the plainclothes detectives carried in all the old cop movies).
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Because in the end, it's about how to kill someone faster/bloodier/dirtier.
Exactly.
I don't own guns, but I respect them. I did enjoy shooting them when I was in Air Cadets and if it wasn't for timing I would have gone to the 6 week course which they taught Rifle Instruction (how to be a range officer, IIRC).
But I will never, ever, get the absolute childish need to have the security blanket guns that so many Americans demand they need. I will never understand being so AFRAID of their 'fellow citizens' that they feel the need for enough firepower to make them wannabe soldiers.
I will never get this.
July 4th parade attack suspect indicted for murder, attempted murder
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Jul 27, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
CHICAGO — The man accused of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago has been indicted by a grand jury on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery.
Prosecutors previously filed seven murder charges against Robert E. Crimo III. They announced the grand jury’s decision to indict him on 117 felony charges on Wednesday.
Attorneys for Crimo have not made a formal response yet to any of the charges he faces in the July Fourth shooting that killed seven people, wounded more than 30, and sent spectators fleeing the parade route in downtown Highland Park, Illinois.
Prosecutors have said Crimo, 21, admitted to the shooting when police arrested him following an hourslong search on July 4.
Under Illinois law, prosecutors can ask a grand jury to determine whether there is probable cause to proceed to trial. Grand jury proceedings aren’t open to the public and defense attorneys cannot cross-examine witnesses.
Authorities have said the wounded range in age from 8 to their 80s, including an 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed from the waist down when the shooting severed his spine.
During a court hearing presenting the murder charges, Lake County prosecutors said police found more than 80 spent shell casings on the rooftop of a building along the parade route and the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack on the ground nearby.
Investigators believe the accused gunman blended in with the fleeing crowd to get away from the scene, then borrowed his mother’s car and briefly contemplated a second attack on a celebration in Madison, Wisconsin, before returning to Illinois where police arrested him.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Jul 27, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
CHICAGO — The man accused of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago has been indicted by a grand jury on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery.
Prosecutors previously filed seven murder charges against Robert E. Crimo III. They announced the grand jury’s decision to indict him on 117 felony charges on Wednesday.
Attorneys for Crimo have not made a formal response yet to any of the charges he faces in the July Fourth shooting that killed seven people, wounded more than 30, and sent spectators fleeing the parade route in downtown Highland Park, Illinois.
Prosecutors have said Crimo, 21, admitted to the shooting when police arrested him following an hourslong search on July 4.
Under Illinois law, prosecutors can ask a grand jury to determine whether there is probable cause to proceed to trial. Grand jury proceedings aren’t open to the public and defense attorneys cannot cross-examine witnesses.
Authorities have said the wounded range in age from 8 to their 80s, including an 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed from the waist down when the shooting severed his spine.
During a court hearing presenting the murder charges, Lake County prosecutors said police found more than 80 spent shell casings on the rooftop of a building along the parade route and the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack on the ground nearby.
Investigators believe the accused gunman blended in with the fleeing crowd to get away from the scene, then borrowed his mother’s car and briefly contemplated a second attack on a celebration in Madison, Wisconsin, before returning to Illinois where police arrested him.
July 4th parade attack suspect indicted for murder, attempted murder
The man accused of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago has been indicted by a grand jury.
A lot more Americans served in the military than Canadians. Since the government trained them to use guns at an early age perhaps this is part of the reason.
I like guns, have hunted and spent lots of time in remote areas with high grizzly populations but never felt the need to pack a gun at work. Some people do though. With the current round of criminals shooting each other around Vancouver area I can see why people might want some protection since the current crop of gangsters are too stupid to keep their battles private. The probability of them ever using a gun in self defence is probably close to zero but things are getting worse there, not better.
About 35% of U.S. mass shooters are veterans. Even though that's disproportionate, I'd expect it to be higher if veteran status were an important factor.
Child victim of Highland Park mass shooting paralyzed and in pain
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Aug 18, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Cooper Roberts, 8, remains in a lot of pain and paralyzed after suffering a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade.
Cooper Roberts, 8, remains in a lot of pain and paralyzed after suffering a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade. PHOTO BY COOPER FAMILY /GoFundMe
Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down.
The eight-year-old was shot in the chest in the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
Seven people were killed and dozens injured by a gunman who fired into the holiday crowd from a rooftop on the parade route.
CNN reports that the Roberts family has released a statement in the hope of shedding light on the horrible reality of these shootings.
They want the world to know their little boy, formerly active, athletic and carefree, is angry and in constant pain as he comes to terms with his new normal.
Cooper’s spinal cord was severed in the shooting. He will not walk again.
He has undergone many surgeries and spent a month in paediatric Intensive Care.
He is now in a rehab facility, where he remains in constant pain from the internal wounds that are still healing.
“There are layers upon layers of cruelty with being shot by a sniper. Most people don’t witness the grueling aftermath of surviving these devastating wounds,” the family statement said.
“He’s an 8-year-old boy who feels hopeless, sad and angry as the reality of his life is setting in.”
The Roberts family has regularly updated people on Cooper’s condition.
Cooper’s mother Keely was also shot in the leg and foot during the parade.
Cooper’s twin brother, Luke, had shrapnel wounds but has physically recovered.
Cooper, the family statement continued, “is on a constant IV drip of antibiotics to ward off infection, has swelling that obscures the full internal picture, and suffers stomach pain as his body relearns to process mainly liquid food. He remains on heavy painkillers.”
According to his parents, Cooper has begun to understand the severity of his situation. Physically, he is undergoing therapy despite having two ports, a catheter and various tubes coming out of his body.
Emotionally, the child is homesick and misses his family; they can only visit him once a week of because of COVID protocols.
“It is very hard to convince Cooper that he will be happy again,” the family said.
“Of course, we are beyond grateful for his survival, and we know others weren’t as fortunate, but we want people to know his path/our path will be a very long and hard road.”
Friends of the family have organized a GoFundMe to cover medical bills — which will be massive— and for all the treatments, therapy, and all of the equipment, devices and changes to the family home that Cooper’s condition will require.
The fundraiser is getting close to a goal of $2 million.
cnn.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Aug 18, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Cooper Roberts, 8, remains in a lot of pain and paralyzed after suffering a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade.
Cooper Roberts, 8, remains in a lot of pain and paralyzed after suffering a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound to his chest in the July Fourth attack on a Chicago-area parade. PHOTO BY COOPER FAMILY /GoFundMe
Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down.
The eight-year-old was shot in the chest in the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
Seven people were killed and dozens injured by a gunman who fired into the holiday crowd from a rooftop on the parade route.
CNN reports that the Roberts family has released a statement in the hope of shedding light on the horrible reality of these shootings.
They want the world to know their little boy, formerly active, athletic and carefree, is angry and in constant pain as he comes to terms with his new normal.
Cooper’s spinal cord was severed in the shooting. He will not walk again.
He has undergone many surgeries and spent a month in paediatric Intensive Care.
He is now in a rehab facility, where he remains in constant pain from the internal wounds that are still healing.
“There are layers upon layers of cruelty with being shot by a sniper. Most people don’t witness the grueling aftermath of surviving these devastating wounds,” the family statement said.
“He’s an 8-year-old boy who feels hopeless, sad and angry as the reality of his life is setting in.”
The Roberts family has regularly updated people on Cooper’s condition.
Cooper’s mother Keely was also shot in the leg and foot during the parade.
Cooper’s twin brother, Luke, had shrapnel wounds but has physically recovered.
Cooper, the family statement continued, “is on a constant IV drip of antibiotics to ward off infection, has swelling that obscures the full internal picture, and suffers stomach pain as his body relearns to process mainly liquid food. He remains on heavy painkillers.”
According to his parents, Cooper has begun to understand the severity of his situation. Physically, he is undergoing therapy despite having two ports, a catheter and various tubes coming out of his body.
Emotionally, the child is homesick and misses his family; they can only visit him once a week of because of COVID protocols.
“It is very hard to convince Cooper that he will be happy again,” the family said.
“Of course, we are beyond grateful for his survival, and we know others weren’t as fortunate, but we want people to know his path/our path will be a very long and hard road.”
Friends of the family have organized a GoFundMe to cover medical bills — which will be massive— and for all the treatments, therapy, and all of the equipment, devices and changes to the family home that Cooper’s condition will require.
The fundraiser is getting close to a goal of $2 million.
Cooper Roberts Family ADA Home & Ongoing Needs, organized by Ella Roberts (Sister)
This second GoFundMe created by the friends of the Roberts Famil… Ella Roberts (Sister) needs your support for Cooper Roberts Family ADA Home & Ongoing Needs
gofundme.com
Six weeks after getting shot at a Fourth of July parade, an 8-year-old left paralyzed feels 'hopeless' and angry as new reality sets in | CNN
Before July Fourth, Cooper Roberts was almost always active and running around. He loved playing sports -- including soccer, baseball and football -- and riding his bike, his family has said.
Child victim of Highland Park mass shooting paralyzed and in pain
Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down.
Man pleads guilty to murder and attempted murder in shooting at suburban Chicago July 4 parade
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sophia Tareen
Published Mar 03, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 4 minute read
WAUKEGAN, Ill — An Illinois man pleaded guilty Monday to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb, a stunning development moments before opening statements in his trial on murder and attempted murder charges.
Appearing in a Lake County circuit courtroom, Robert E. Crimo III, 24, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea in the Highland Park shooting.
Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped 48 less serious counts of aggravated battery before jury selection last week.
On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges to Crimo and asked questions to be sure he understood before accepting the plea. He was sitting next to his lawyers wearing a dark suit.
“Is that what you went over with your attorneys?” Rossetti asked.
“Yes,” Crimo replied.
He gave mostly one-word answers to her follow-up questions. His mother, Denise Pesina, had a brief outburst at the news and the judge gave her a warning.
“We’re going to move forward,” the judge said to her. “You are not a party to this proceeding. If you would like to stay in the courtroom please have a seat and be quiet.”
She was allowed to stay.
The judge said with the plea change, there would be no trial or further motions. Jurors were never even let into the courtroom.
The legal proceedings have moved slowly, partly due to Crimo’s unpredictable behaviour. Last year, Crimo was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, but changed his mind at the last minute, shocking even his attorneys.
He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then he abruptly reversed himself. As potential jurors were questioned last week, he sporadically appeared in court, at times refusing to leave his jail cell.
“He has knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights and pleaded guilty,” Rossetti said Monday.
Prosecutors read the names of all those killed in the shooting and of those injured, with the judge stopping to ask questions to make sure Crimo understood. They went over the substantial evidence, including DNA samples and a video-taped confession to police.
“Our community may never heal from the defendant’s calculated and heinous actions that destroyed so many lives,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart told reporters after court. “He received nothing in exchange for his plea. We were 1000% ready to go to trial and prove him guilty to the jury. We have been working for years to prepare our evidence.”
Sentencing will come April 23, but Crimo is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each count of first-degree murder carries a maximum natural life prison sentence. Prosecutors said survivors would get the chance to address Crimo at the sentencing.
Crimo didn’t further address the court before leaving the courtroom.
His public defenders did not address reporters after the hearing.
Security was tight at the courthouse, with bag checks and observers required to lock up their phones.
The change of plea shocked those gathered in the courtroom, including survivors and their families.
Ashbey Beasley, who attended the 2022 parade with her son, said it was a huge relief. She said they had to run for their lives and even though they weren’t injured, they have had to heal. Seeing Crimo at hearings has added to their trauma.
“Every single time I see him, it’s stressful. It’s upsetting for everyone in our community,” she told reporters after court. “We all just wanted this to be over.”
A spokeswoman for a law firm representing dozens of survivors in a lawsuit said they were ready to “pursue civil justice.” Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.
“They have all gone home to process,” said Jennifer McGuffin with Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin LLC. “They each expressed an individual and a collective sense of relief, but today was a very emotional event and they are asking for some time and space to come to terms with what happened.
The trial was expected to last about a month.
Dozens of people were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 50 kilometres north of Chicago. The wounded ranged in age from their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.
Witnesses described confusion as the shots began, followed by panic as families fled the downtown parade route, leaving behind lawn chairs and strollers to find safety inside nearby businesses or homes.
Authorities said Crimo perched on a roof and fired into crowds.
His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and served less than two months in jail.
Residents in the wealthy Highland Park community of roughly 30,000 set along Lake Michigan have mourned the losses deeply. Some potential jurors were excused because of their connections to the case.
City leaders canceled the usual parade in 2023, opting for a “community walk.” The parade was reinstated last year on a different route and with a memorial for the victims.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering called the plea change an important step towards justice.
“Our thoughts and hearts remain with the families whose loved ones were senselessly taken,” she told reporters Monday.
The victims killed in the shooting included Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sophia Tareen
Published Mar 03, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 4 minute read
WAUKEGAN, Ill — An Illinois man pleaded guilty Monday to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb, a stunning development moments before opening statements in his trial on murder and attempted murder charges.
Appearing in a Lake County circuit courtroom, Robert E. Crimo III, 24, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea in the Highland Park shooting.
Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped 48 less serious counts of aggravated battery before jury selection last week.
On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges to Crimo and asked questions to be sure he understood before accepting the plea. He was sitting next to his lawyers wearing a dark suit.
“Is that what you went over with your attorneys?” Rossetti asked.
“Yes,” Crimo replied.
He gave mostly one-word answers to her follow-up questions. His mother, Denise Pesina, had a brief outburst at the news and the judge gave her a warning.
“We’re going to move forward,” the judge said to her. “You are not a party to this proceeding. If you would like to stay in the courtroom please have a seat and be quiet.”
She was allowed to stay.
The judge said with the plea change, there would be no trial or further motions. Jurors were never even let into the courtroom.
The legal proceedings have moved slowly, partly due to Crimo’s unpredictable behaviour. Last year, Crimo was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, but changed his mind at the last minute, shocking even his attorneys.
He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then he abruptly reversed himself. As potential jurors were questioned last week, he sporadically appeared in court, at times refusing to leave his jail cell.
“He has knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights and pleaded guilty,” Rossetti said Monday.
Prosecutors read the names of all those killed in the shooting and of those injured, with the judge stopping to ask questions to make sure Crimo understood. They went over the substantial evidence, including DNA samples and a video-taped confession to police.
“Our community may never heal from the defendant’s calculated and heinous actions that destroyed so many lives,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart told reporters after court. “He received nothing in exchange for his plea. We were 1000% ready to go to trial and prove him guilty to the jury. We have been working for years to prepare our evidence.”
Sentencing will come April 23, but Crimo is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each count of first-degree murder carries a maximum natural life prison sentence. Prosecutors said survivors would get the chance to address Crimo at the sentencing.
Crimo didn’t further address the court before leaving the courtroom.
His public defenders did not address reporters after the hearing.
Security was tight at the courthouse, with bag checks and observers required to lock up their phones.
The change of plea shocked those gathered in the courtroom, including survivors and their families.
Ashbey Beasley, who attended the 2022 parade with her son, said it was a huge relief. She said they had to run for their lives and even though they weren’t injured, they have had to heal. Seeing Crimo at hearings has added to their trauma.
“Every single time I see him, it’s stressful. It’s upsetting for everyone in our community,” she told reporters after court. “We all just wanted this to be over.”
A spokeswoman for a law firm representing dozens of survivors in a lawsuit said they were ready to “pursue civil justice.” Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.
“They have all gone home to process,” said Jennifer McGuffin with Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin LLC. “They each expressed an individual and a collective sense of relief, but today was a very emotional event and they are asking for some time and space to come to terms with what happened.
The trial was expected to last about a month.
Dozens of people were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 50 kilometres north of Chicago. The wounded ranged in age from their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.
Witnesses described confusion as the shots began, followed by panic as families fled the downtown parade route, leaving behind lawn chairs and strollers to find safety inside nearby businesses or homes.
Authorities said Crimo perched on a roof and fired into crowds.
His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and served less than two months in jail.
Residents in the wealthy Highland Park community of roughly 30,000 set along Lake Michigan have mourned the losses deeply. Some potential jurors were excused because of their connections to the case.
City leaders canceled the usual parade in 2023, opting for a “community walk.” The parade was reinstated last year on a different route and with a memorial for the victims.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering called the plea change an important step towards justice.
“Our thoughts and hearts remain with the families whose loved ones were senselessly taken,” she told reporters Monday.
The victims killed in the shooting included Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
Man pleads guilty to murder and attempted murder in shooting at suburban Chicago July 4 parade
An man pleaded guilty to killing 7 and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb.