Father Whose Son Is Accused of Parade Shooting Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanors
Robert Crimo Jr., the father of the man accused of killing seven people at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, pleaded guilty on Monday to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct for helping his son obtain a license to own firearms before the shootings.
The guilty pleas were announced in a courtroom in Lake County, Ill., just before the elder Mr. Crimo’s trial was expected to begin.
Eric F. Rinehart, the top prosecutor in Lake County, said the deal had been reached after last-minute discussions on Sunday.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Crimo will serve 60 days in jail, two years probation and 100 hours of public service, prosecutors said. Mr. Crimo declined to comment immediately after leaving the courtroom.
The elder Mr. Crimo, prosecutors said, ignored obvious signs that his son, Robert Crimo III, was capable of violence: In 2019, months before the state gun permit was acquired, a family member contacted the authorities, reporting that the younger Mr. Crimo had threatened to “kill everyone.” Police officers removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from the home but decided that there was not probable cause to arrest him at that time.
Robert Crimo III later bought several weapons, including a high-powered rifle. On July 4, 2022, he climbed onto the roof of a building in downtown Highland Park, Ill., and opened fire on the parade crowd, killing seven people and wounding many others, prosecutors say. He was 21 at the time and remains in jail, awaiting a trial date.
Read the full article Here