Topline
Robert Crimo III, the 23-year-old man accused of carrying out the 2022 mass shooting on a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Ill., rejected a plea deal Wednesday, multiple outlets reported, nearly two years after he was indicted on more than 100 felony counts for the shooting that killed seven and injured dozens.
Crimo was charged with more than 100 felony counts for the shooting.
Key Facts
Under the plea deal, Crimo would have pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder, as well as 48 counts of aggravated battery, and be sentenced to life in prison with the rest of the charges dismissed, according to multiple outlets.
Crimo and prosecutors had agreed on the plea deal, but he refused to respond to Judge Victoria Rossetti in court Wednesday and ultimately declined the deal after an abrupt recess, multiple outlets reported.
Rossetti set a tentative trial date of Feb. 25, 2025, according to CNN.
Wednesday’s reversal was not the first time Crimo has changed his mind since his indictment, CNN reported, as he walked back on representing himself in December and was assigned a public defender.
Crimo was charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder—three counts per victim—along with 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery in July 2022, and pleaded not guilty to all charges that August.
Key Background
Prosecutors say Crimo opened fire on a Fourth of July parade from a rooftop in Highland Park, Ill. in 2022, allegedly planning the shooting weeks in advance. Seven people were killed in the shooting, and dozens more were left injured, including an 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed after being shot in the back. Local authorities said they believed Crimo planned to carry out another shooting the same day in Madison, Wis., as he drove to the city following the shooting and had roughly 60 rounds of ammunition in his car. Crimo was arrested the day the shooting occurred, and was indicted on July 22, 2022.
Tangent
Crimo obtained the AR-15 allegedly used in the shooting legally, and his father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless misconduct in November for aiding in his son’s firearm application process. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail with two years of probation, as well as 100 hours of community service and a forfeiture of his own firearm owners identification card and any owned guns, according to CBS News.
Further Reading
Alleged Highland Park Shooter Indicted On Over 100 Felony Counts (Forbes)
Alleged 4th Of July Shooter ‘Seriously Contemplated’ Another Mass Shooting Hours Later, Police Say (Forbes)
