By Canadian Press

Man pleads guilty to murder and attempted murder in shooting at suburban Chicago July 4 parade

Mar 3, 2025 | 9:00 AM

WAUKEGAN, Ill (AP) — The man accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens more at a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb pleaded guilty Monday to murder and attempted murder, just moments before opening arguments in his trial.

Appearing in a Lake County circuit courtroom, Robert E. Crimo III, 23, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea in the Highland Park shooting. The trial started Feb. 24 with jury selection.

Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped the less serious 48 counts of aggravated battery before jury selection last week.

On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges to Crimo and asked questions to be sure he understood before any open plea was read to the court. He was sitting next to his lawyers wearing a dark suit.

Sentencing will come April 23, but Crimo is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each count of first-degree murder carries a natural life prison sentence.

Crimo did not further address the court or ask questions before leaving the courtroom.

The trial that began Feb. 24 was expected to last about a month with testimony from survivors and police. Prosecutors have turned in thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a videotaped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting.

Dozens of people were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Chicago. The wounded ranged in age from their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.

Witnesses described confusion as the shots began, followed by panic as families fled the downtown parade route, leaving behind lawn chairs and strollers to find safety inside nearby businesses or homes.

The criminal case proceeded slowly for months, partly due to Crimo’s unpredictable behavior. In June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, Crimo showed up to court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal, surprising even his lawyers.

He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then he abruptly reversed himself.

The trial came almost two years after his father’s case focusing on how Crimo obtained a gun license.

In 2019, at age 19, Crimo was only allowed to apply for a gun license with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative had reported to police that his son had a collection of knives and had threatened to “kill everyone.”

Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct.

City leaders canceled the annual parade in 2023 but reinstated it the following year with a remembrance ceremony for those killed.

Killed in the shooting 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.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WAUKEGAN, Ill (AP) — The trial of a suburban Chicago man accused of a mass shooting at a 2022 Independence Day parade that killed seven people and wounded dozens more is set to begin Monday.

Robert Crimo III faces 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each person killed, as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped the less serious 48 counts of aggravated battery before jury selection last week.

The road to the trial has been bumpy, with delays partly due to Crimo’s unpredictability, including his rejection of a plea deal that even surprised his attorneys. As potential jurors were questioned last week, he sporadically appeared in court, at times refusing to leave his jail cell.

Authorities alleged Crimo perched on a roof and fired into crowds assembled for the annual Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Chicago.

Prosecutors have submitted thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a videotaped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting. But the 24-year-old has since pleaded not guilty.

His defense attorneys have declined comment ahead of the trial, which is expected to last about a month.

His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and served less than two months in jail.

He has attended his son’s hearings, sometimes making eye contact with him during court. He declined to discuss the case in detail ahead of the trial.

“As a parent, I love my son very much,” he said. “And Bobby loves this country more than anyone would ever know.”

Prosecutors plan to call multiple law enforcement officers and survivors of the shooting to testify. They also will show videos of Crimo’s statements to police. Some of the videos already have been shown in court as prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to have them thrown out.

Crimo’s erratic behavior has contributed to court delays.

He fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself, then abruptly reversed himself. In June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, he arrived at the court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal.

Residents in the wealthy Highland Park community of roughly 30,000 set along Lake Michigan have mourned the losses deeply. Some potential jurors were excused because of their connections to the case.

City leaders canceled the usual parade in 2023, opting for a “community walk.” The parade was reinstated last year on a different route and with a memorial for the victims.

“Our community is once again reminded of the immense pain and trauma caused by the Highland Park shooting,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said in a statement ahead of jury selection. “Our hearts remain with the victims, their families, and all those whose lives were forever changed by that devastating day.”

The victims killed in the shooting included 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.

Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.

Sophia Tareen, The Associated Press