The latest on Highland Park shootings
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A car with decals is parked outside the house where Robert E. Crimo III lives in Highwood. Photo: Max Herman/AFP via Getty Images
The Lake County state's attorney's office charged Robert E. Crimo III with seven counts of first-degree murder Tuesday. The office said it will ask a judge to hold him without bail this morning.
- If convicted, Crimo will receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
What they're saying: "There will be dozens of more charges against Mr. Crimo," said Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart in a press conference.
- "This is just the first of many charges, centering around each of the victims."
Driving the news: A seventh victim of the parade attack was reported to have died yesterday in Cook County.
State of play: Throughout the day, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesperson Christopher Covelli presented details, including:
- Highland Park police said they were called twice to the Crimo home in 2019 — in April for a suicide attempt and in September after the suspect threatened the lives of his family. Police said they removed several knives, a dagger and a sword.
- But still, police said, in 2020 Crimo legally obtained a firearm owner's identification card (FOID) and purchased five firearms. Police confirmed he obtained the card before he was 21 because it was sponsored by his father.
- One of those firearms was the rifle "similar to an AR-15" that he allegedly used in the attack.
- Officials said Crimo accessed the roof via a fire-escape ladder and then proceeded to fire more than 70 rounds into the crowd.
What's more: During the attack, Crimo was dressed in women's clothing, which investigators believe he did to conceal his identity and face tattoos. After the attack, he dropped his weapon and escaped by blending into the fleeing crowd.
- Crimo then walked to his mother's house and borrowed her car.
- Police said that he drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area and back to Illinois before being apprehended Monday evening.
Police also released the names of shooting victims who died in the attack. They include:
- 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein of Highland Park
- 35-year-old Irina McCarthy of Highland Park
- 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy of Highland Park
- 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim of Highland Park
- 88-year-old Stephen Straus of Highland Park
- 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza of Morelos, Mexico
Of note: When asked if the shooting was directed at Highland Park's significant Jewish population, making it prosecutable as a hate crime, Covelli said, "We have no information to suggest at this point it was racially motivated, motivated by religion or any other protected status."
The intrigue: Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, who led an assault-weapons ban in Highland Park, once served as Crimo's Cub Scout leader.