WAUKEGAN, Illinois – A man accused of killing seven people by firing at the Chicago Independence Day Parade in the suburbs, is about to withstand trial nearly three years after the attack.
Jury selection begins on Monday after some delays. Part of the reason is the unstable behavior of defendant Robert Crimyo III, who raised questions about what to expect at the trial.
attack
Authorities claim the gunman perched on a roof shot of a crowd gathered for the July 4th parade in downtown Highland Park, a luxury suburb 30 miles from Chicago.
Seven people were killed in the 2022 shooting, including the parents of infants. Dozens more were injured. They were old from the ’80s to the 8-year-old boy at the time who was left partially paralyzed.
Witnesses explained the confusion when the shot rang, and fear continued as the family abandoned the parade route, leaving behind grass chairs and strollers to find safety within the home and business.
City leaders cancelled the parade the following year, but in 2024 they revived it at a victims memorial.
Mayor Nancy Rotelling said the city doesn’t want to be defined by mass shootings. This month she announced that the parade would return in July, but some had no fireworks due to “community trauma.”
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“The theme of this year’s parade reminds us that teams are most resilient when supporting common goals and bringing people together, and supporting each other,” Rottering said.
Killed in the shooting was: Katherine Goldstein, 64. Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Strauss, 88; Nicholas Toledo Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35;
Visitors prayed at a memorial to seven people killed in the July 4 mass shooting at the Highland Park War Memorial in Highland Park, Illinois on July 7, 2022. Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo
case
Crimyo is faced with 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery 21 counts (3 counts for each person murdered).
Prosecutors are taking over about 10,000 pages of evidence and videotape interrogation time where police say Crimyo confessed to the shooting. However, 24-year-old Crimyo later pleaded not guilty and refused the plea agreement.
The court case has resulted in part in the interrogation being the public, and the defense attorney has failed to attempt to throw away the video, claiming that Crimmy’s rights have been violated.
The video shows executives repeatedly asking Crimmy if they understand Miranda’s rights, including the right to remain silent.
“I’ve heard them millions of times,” Crimyo said at one point.
Prosecutors also showed footage of people identified by police as Crimyo headed for the parade route on the morning of July 4, 2022.
What could hurt the defense is Crimmy’s unpredictable behavior in court.
He refused to leave the Lake County Jail and did not introduce him to up to two previous court hearings. And in June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea bargain and give victims and relatives the opportunity to deal with him publicly, he appeared in court in a wheelchair and refused the deal. He also fired his official defender and suddenly turned himself around after saying he would represent himself.
Eric Johnson, a law professor at the University of Illinois, said:
Crimyo’s lawyers and Lake County prosecutors repeatedly declined to comment prior to trial.
family
Crimyo’s father, Robert Crimyo Jr., pleaded guilty in 2023 to counting seven misdemeanors of reckless conduct. The charges focused on how his son obtained a gun license.
In 2019, at age 19, Crimin III was only allowed to apply for a gun license with parent or guardian sponsorship. His father agreed, despite his relatives reporting to police that his son had a collection of knives and threatened to “kill everyone.”
Crimyo Jr., the former mayoral candidate and former owner of the now-closed deli, attends his son’s court hearing and makes eye contact with him during the hearing. He refused to discuss the incident in detail.
“As a parent, I love my son so much, and Bobby loves this country more than everyone knows,” he said in a phone interview. “There are no further comments.”
Robert E. Crimmy Jr. will wait to leave after appearing at Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan, Illinois on November 3, 2023. Nam Y. Huh/Pool/AP Photo
Jujuku
A potential ju judge is scheduled for Monday in Workgun court for what the lawyer expects to be trial for a month. However, a prominent case can complicate efforts to find a ju judge.
Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits against the makers of the semi-automatic rifles used in the shooting and authorities accusing them of negligence.
The person I spoke to refused to interview before the trial. He is expected to testify along with a former school resource officer who met Crimmy in junior and high school.
Experts say lawyers must take extra care and approach the ju apprentice’s choice.
“There’s information there,” Alan Twelkemer said. “It’s like it’s an impact on people in our community.”
By Sofia Tareen
