The man who confessed to opening fire during a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, killing seven and injuring dozens more, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti delivered seven consecutive life sentences Thursday to Robert E. Crimo III, 24, for first-degree murder, fulfilling the prosecution's request. The sentencing followed heart-wrenching testimony from survivors and families of the victims.
Crimo pleaded guilty last month to 21 counts of first-degree murder — three for each person killed — and 48 counts of attempted murder, changing his plea just moments before his trial was set to begin. The shooting occurred in Highland Park, about 30 miles north of Chicago, and left victims ranging in age from their 80s to an 8-year-old boy.
Crimo refused to appear in court for his sentencing on Wednesday or Thursday despite being warned that the hearing would proceed without him. He also declined to submit a written statement to the court.
"You will not hear my grief," said Keely Roberts, whose son Cooper, 8, was left paralyzed from the waist down. "You are now irrelevant."
Legal experts note that while it's rare, defendants have the constitutional right to skip trial proceedings, including sentencing. "Certainly in crimes of violence it's not unusual for a defendant to show some remorse," said David Erickson, a former appellate judge and professor at Chicago Kent College of Law.
During emotional courtroom testimony, survivors described the deep trauma left behind by the attack. Some called Crimo a "monster." Others shared that they no longer feel safe in public spaces. One woman, Erica Weeder, recalled lying on the ground with her husband as chaos unfolded around them.
"A mass shooting is like a bomb blast throughout a community," she said. She underwent weeks of treatment to remove shrapnel from her body, while her husband was shot in the elbow, the bullet embedded for weeks.
Prosecutors portrayed Crimo as cold and calculating, firing 83 rounds in just 40 seconds from a rooftop. "This was his evil plan. He intended to end the happiness that he saw around him," said Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart.
Even without his presence in court, prosecutors presented evidence prepared for trial, including portions of Crimo's police confession. In the video, Crimo appeared emotionless, arms crossed as he admitted to initially hesitating due to a gun malfunction before deciding to follow through.
"I walked up the stairs, jumped on the roof and opened fire," he said.
Highland Park Police Officer Brian Bodden said Crimo remained disturbingly calm during the interview, even laughing and joking at times.
To illustrate the horror of the day, prosecutors played video from the parade. One clip showed a band performing "You're a Grand Old Flag" just before gunfire erupted, with musicians and parade-goers running for cover as sirens wailed.
Tears filled the courtroom as names of the victims were read aloud: 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.
Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr., was charged in connection to 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.
