Trial begins for Robert Crimo III in Highland Park shooting

Flashback: Crimo is accused of shooting into the crowd from a nearby rooftop at Highland Park's annual Fourth of July parade.

• After the shooting, local authorities chased him down after he fled the scene, eventually capturing him in nearby Waukegan.

Driving the news: Lake County prosecutors dismissed 47 aggravated battery charges against Crimo, but a spokesperson for State's Attorney Eric Rinehart did not explain why.

• Crimo, who has pleaded not guilty, still faces 70 charges of murder and attempted murder.
• Jury selection was delayed as jurors filled out lengthy questionnaires, the Sun-Times reported.

Zoom in: Crimo, 24, is in custody at Lake County Jail.

• Over the last couple years, Crimo has dismissed his public defenders and declared he'd represent himself, then reversed that, and rejected a plea deal last year.

Zoom out: It was later revealed that Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr., helped his son obtain a firearm owners identification card to purchase a semi-automatic gun.

• Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven counts of reckless behavior for helping his son get the license and was sentenced to 60 days in jail.

State of play: Highland Park State Rep. Bob Morgan introduced an assault weapons ban that passed in 2023, but gun store owners and Second Amendment activists almost immediately challenged the law, saying it was unconstitutional.

• The ban is currently in place as the lawsuit is pending before a federal court of appeals.

What's next: Jury selection continues.

• The judge said the trial will probably last three to five weeks.