Massacre suspect denies charges
21-year-old faces 117 counts in the Fourth of July Illinois horror
The accused shooter in a July 4 massacre in Highland Park, Ill., pleaded not guilty to 117 charges during a short court hearing Wednesday.
Robert Crimo, 21, told Judge Victoria Rossetti that he understands the charges against him, which include 21 counts of first-degree murder, in connection with the shooting at an Independence Day parade that left seven people dead.
He also said said he understands the possible penalties for the charges, which include life in prison.
The arraignment lasted about 10 minutes, during which Crimo (photo) wore a black face mask.
The hearing took place a week after prosecutors revealed the 117 charges against him.
The 21 counts of first-degree murder include three separate charges for each of the seven victims killed in the shooting, which also left dozens of people wounded.
Additional charges include 48 counts of attempted murder, and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
Prosecutors said last month that Crimo confessed to the shooting, and that he used a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle that was recovered after the attack.
He allegedly fired the weapon from atop a roof during the parade and then fled the scene, kicking off a search by officials that lasted multiple hours.
Crimo is accused of driving about 140 miles to Madison, Wis., after the massacre in Highland Park, and is said to have considered carrying out another shooting there but decided against it and returned to Illinois, where he was arrested, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli.
He allegedly disguised himself in women’s clothing and makeup that covered his facial tattoos to pull off the attack unnoticed.
Crimo had purchased five guns, including two semiautomatic rifles that he bought in 2020, Covelli said last month. His father, Bobby Crimo Jr., is said to have sponsored his application to become a firearm owner.
Police were called to the suspect’s home twice in 2019, once because of a reported suicide attempt by Crimo, as well as an incident in which he allegedly threatened to “kill everyone,” according to Covelli.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart wouldn’t say whether Crimo’s parents could be charged, or if Crimo could receive more charges.
The suspect’s father told ABC News last month there was “not an inkling, warning” before his son allegedly carried out the attack, and said he didn’t regret sponsoring his son’s gun owner application.
“Do I regret that? No, not three years ago — signing a consent form to go through the process … that’s all it was,” he told ABC. “Had I purchased guns throughout the years and given them to him in my name, that’s a different story. But he went through that whole process himself.”
The victims killed in the shooting ranged in age from 35 to 88 years old. The victims wounded include an 8-year-old boy who was left paralyzed from the waist down.