The suspect returned to Illinois, where he was later arrested after deciding he wasn’t willing to shoot in the Madison, Wisconsin area, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference after the hearing. Denied commitment to 21-year-old. Speaking in court, Lake County Assistant District Attorney Ben Dillon said the gunman “looked up, took aim” and fired at people across the street, killing seven and injuring more than a dozen. He left the shells of 83 bullets and three magazines of ammunition on the roof. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said he planned to file attempted murder and aggravated battery charges for each person who was injured. “There will be many, many more charges,” he told a news conference, estimating those charges would be announced later this month. If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak presides over accused gunman Robert Crimo’s initial appearance in county court Wednesday in Waukegan, Ill. (Charles Rex Arbogast/The Associated Press) The defendant, Robert Crimo III, wore a black long-sleeved shirt as he appeared in court via video. As the prosecutor described the shooting, he said little except to tell the judge he didn’t have a lawyer. On Tuesday, Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based attorney, said he would represent Crimo and that he intended to plead not guilty to all charges. But Durkin told the court Wednesday he had a conflict of interest with the case. Crimo has been appointed a public defender. Reinhart also left open the possibility that Crimo’s parents could be charged, telling reporters he “doesn’t want to answer” that question at this time as the investigation continues. Steve Greenberg, the attorney for Crimo’s parents, told The Associated Press that they are not worried about being charged with anything related to their son’s case. The parade shooting left another US community – this time affluent Highland Park, home to about 30,000 near the shores of Lake Michigan – reeling. Hundreds of protesters, parents and children fled in panic. Some of the wounded remain in critical condition, Coveli said, noting that the death toll could rise. Already, the shooting deaths have left a two-year-old boy without parents, families grieving the loss of beloved grandparents and a synagogue mourning the death of a colleague who also served on staff for decades.
Firearms purchased after suicide threat: police
Questions also arose about how the suspect could circumvent Illinois’ relatively strict gun laws to legally purchase five guns, including the high-powered weapon used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide. WATCHES | Accused gunman confessed, police say:
The suspected perpetrator of the parade “admitted what he had done”: police
The alleged gunman in the fatal shooting at a Fourth of July parade was interviewed by the Highland Park Police Department and according to police, he went into detail about the things he had done and said he had considered another attack. Police went to the home in September 2019 after a call from a family member who said Crimo was threatening to “kill everyone” there. Covelli said police seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no indication he had any weapons at the time. Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by the suspect, Covelli said. Crimo legally purchased the rifle that police say was used in the Illinois attack last year, according to Covelli. In all, police said, he bought five firearms, which were found by officers at his father’s home. A memorial for the shooting victims stands Wednesday in Highland Park. In addition to the seven people killed, more than a dozen were injured. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) Illinois State Police, which issues gun licenses, said Crimo applied for a license in December 2019, when he was 19. His father supported his application. At the time, “there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” and deny the application, state police said in a statement. PHOTOS | The community gathers for a vigil: Investigators who questioned the suspect and reviewed his social media posts did not determine a motive or find any indication that he targeted victims based on race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said. At the Fourth of July parade, shots were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of revelers fled in terror. A day later, baby carriages, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked marchers remained inside a wide police perimeter. Outside the police tape, some residents drove up to collect blankets and chairs they left behind. The shooting occurred at a point along the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing spots earlier in the day, including two of the victims who died, 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting family in Illinois from Mexico. and 63-year-old teacher Jacki Sundheim. Nine people, ranging in age from 14 to 70, remained hospitalized Tuesday, hospital officials said. The gunman initially evaded capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, Coveli said. An officer pulled Crimo over north of the shooting scene several hours after police released his photo and warned he was possibly armed and dangerous, Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said. In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association were quick to question the suburban liberal’s stance. The legal battle ended up on the doorstep of the US Supreme Court in 2015, when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburb’s restrictions remain in place. WATCHES | He had a history of mental health problems, police say;
Police are aware of prior mental health incidents with a parade shooting suspect
The Highland Park Police Department describes two separate incidents in 2019 where they were told of suicidal and potentially violent intentions by the alleged gunman in the deadly mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago. Under Illinois law, gun purchases can be denied to people with felony convictions, drug addictions, or people deemed capable of harming themselves or others. However, according to the law, to whom that last provision applies must be decided by “a court, board, commission or other legal authority”. Illinois has a so-called red flag law designed to stop dangerous people before they kill, but it requires family members, relatives, roommates or police to ask a judge to order the guns confiscated. Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper under the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting dozens of videos and songs on social media, some ominous and violent. Federal agents were reviewing Crimo’s online profiles, and a preliminary examination of his online history showed he had investigated mass murders and downloaded numerous photos depicting violent acts, a law enforcement official said.
