Prosecutors revealed Wednesday that the man suspected of opening fire on an Independence Day celebration in suburban Chicago was indicted by a grand jury on 117 felony charges in the mass shooting that killed seven people.
Prosecutors had previously filed seven murder charges against Robert E. Crimo III, but on Wednesday they revealed that a grand jury had decided to indict him on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder, and 48 counts of aggravated violence.
Robert Crimo III Indicted on 117 Counts in Deadly Highland Park Shooting
Crimo's attorneys have yet to file a formal response to any of the accusations he faces in connection with the July 4th shooting in downtown Highland Park, Illinois. On Wednesday, a message left with the county's public defender's office was not returned.
Prosecutors claim Crimo, 21, confesses to the shooting after being apprehended by police on July 4 after an hours-long manhunt. Prosecutors in Illinois can seek a grand jury to assess if there is probable cause to go to trial. The public is not permitted to attend grand jury sessions, and defense counsel are not permitted to cross-examine witnesses.
The numerous first-degree murder accusations against Crimo state that he planned to kill, caused death or serious bodily injury, and took conduct that had a high possibility of causing death or great bodily damage to the seven persons who died.
According to authorities, the injured range in age from 8 to 80 years old, including an 8-year-old kid who was paralyzed from the waist down after the gunfire severed his spine, as per USA Today.
Crimo is scheduled to appear in court on August 3 for his arraignment. Since being detained at a traffic check hours after the incident, he has been imprisoned without bail.
During a virtual bond hearing earlier this month, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon stated that Crimo freely revealed to authorities that he unloaded two 30-round magazines before loading a third and fired again. Crimo faces a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.
Mother of Boy Paralyzed in Highland Park Shooting Speaks Out
Authorities have stated that they do not know what motivated the alleged gunman. Crimo purchased rifles and other firearms between June 2020 and September 2021, according to state police. He passed four background checks, including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to CNN.
After being shot during the Highland Park parade attack, an eight-year-old boy's family reported that he was "paralyzed from the waist down" and will likely never walk again. During the attack, Cooper Roberts' spinal cord was cut. The event also injured his twin brother and mother. Doctors have now determined that Cooper would most likely never walk again due to the severity of his spinal cord damage.
Luke's twin brother was also hospitalized with shrapnel wounds in his lower body but was released after physicians removed part of the debris, but they were unable to remove all of it. Police are still unsure of his motivation for the killing spree, although they have already established his obsession with the digit 47 - the inverse of 7/4, the date of July 4th. It was previously discovered that Crimo's father approved his application for a FOID card - the license required to purchase firearms - in 2019 when he was 19 and only two months after an incident at the family home.
After the incident, police took 16 knives because Crimo threatened to murder everyone. He was not jailed, and his family claims authorities returned the weapons two weeks later, Daily Mail reported.
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