Highland Park 4th of July shooter Robert Crimo III sentenced to life in prison

The man behind the deadly 2022 Highland Park Independence Day parade shooting will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Robert E. Crimo III, now 24, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing seven people and injuring dozens more in the Chicago suburb.

The sentencing came after Crimo changed his plea to guilty just before opening statements were scheduled to begin. He admitted to shooting of 83 rounds in only 40 seconds from a rooftop during the parade, hitting victims ranging in age from their 80s to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.

Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti issued seven consecutive life sentences for first-degree murder, as requested by prosecutors. She also handed down sentences for the 48 counts of attempted murder and additional charges Crimo faced, according to CNN.

Crimo refused to attend the sentencing proceedings on both Wednesday and Thursday, ignoring prior warnings from the judge that the case would move forward without him.

Though Crimo wasn’t in court, prosecutors played parts of his videotaped confession, which showed him slumped in a chair, arms crossed, speaking in a calm and emotionless tone. “I walked up the stairs, jumped on the roof and opened fire,” he said during the interview. Highland Park officer Brian Bodden recalled that Crimo was cavalier about the crime, even laughing and making jokes.

Prosecutors also presented parade footage and survivor testimony to illustrate the chaos and trauma of that day. One video captured a marching band playing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” before gunfire erupted. Attendees fled in panic as sirens rang out and musicians dropped their instruments to run.

The victims were 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.

In a related case that concluded last year, Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., also faced charges over his role in helping his son acquire firearms. Prosecutors said Crimo Jr. acted “criminally reckless” when he signed his underage son’s application for an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification card, which is required for legal gun purchases in the state. At the time of the shooting, Crimo III was 21, but he had obtained the FOID card years earlier with his father’s consent.

Crimo Jr., a former mayoral candidate, was initially charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanor counts instead. Under the agreement, he will serve 60 days in jail, spend two years on probation, and complete 100 hours of community service. He is expected to begin his sentence on November 15.