Waukegan, sick – He rehearsal Of a suburban man from Chicago accused of a mass shooting in a 2022 independence day parade that killed seven people and wounded more dozen to start on Monday.
Robert Crimto III faces 21 first -degree murder positions, three positions for each person murdered, as well as 48 positions of murder attempt. Prosecutors eliminated the 48 less serious charges of aggravated battery before jury selection last week.
The way to the trial has been irregular, with delays in part due to the unpredictability of Crimto, including its rejection of a plea agreement That even surprised his lawyers. As the potential jury interrogated last week, he appeared sporadically in the Court, sometimes refusing to leave his jail cell.
The authorities alleged Crimto perched on a roof and fired to multitudes gathered for the annual parade of July 4 in the center of Highland Park, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Chicago.
Prosecutors have presented thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a video recorded in video during which the police say that Crimto confessed the shooting. But the 24 -year -old since then He declared himself innocent.
His defense lawyers have declined to comment before the trial, which is expected to last approximately one month.
His father, Robert Crimeo Jr., a candidate for mayor in time, was accused in relation to how his son obtained a weapons license. He declared himself guilty in 2023 to Seven minor crimes of reckless conduct and served less two months in jail.
He has attended his son’s audience, sometimes making visual contact with him during the court. He refused to discuss the case in detail before the trial.
“As a father, I love my son a lot,” he said. “And Bobby loves this country more than anyone knows.”
Prosecutors plan to call multiple law agents and shooting survivors to testify. They will also show videos of the statements of charge to the police. Some of the videos have already been shown in court as prosecutors I tried without success To be expelled.
The erratic behavior of charge has contributed to the delays in the court.
He fired his public defenders And he said he would represent himself, then abruptly It was reversed. In June 2024, when it was expected to accept a guilt agreement and give victims And relatives the opportunity to address him publicly, came to court in a wheelchair and rejected the agreement.
The residents of the rich Highland Park community of approximately 30,000 sets along the Michigan Lake have deeply cried the losses. Some members of the potential jury were excused due to their connections with the case.
The city leaders canceled the usual parade in 2023, opting for a “community walk.” The parade was restored last year on a different route and with a monument for the victims.
“Our community is remembered once again the immense pain and the trauma caused by the shooting in Highland Park,” said Highland Park mayor Nancy Rothering, in a statement before the jury selection. “Our hearts remain with the victims, their families and all those whose lives were changed forever for that devastating day.”
The victims delicate In the shooting he included Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; And he married the Kevin McCarthy couple, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
Survivors and their families have presented multiple demandseven against the manufacturer of semi -automatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities They accuse of negligence.
