Highland Park 4th July Parade Shooting Trial begins on Monday – NBC Chicago

After almost three years, the trial against the suspect was charged and killed seven people and injured dozens during the parade on July fourth, 2022 in Highland Park.

After numerous delays, the jury should start in Waukegan at 9 a.m.

In the last hearing before the court proceedings, a judge was allowed to attend the victims of the Parade shooting at the full duration of the process.

As a rule, potential witnesses are from the district branch in the courtroom until they testify. Judge Victoria Rosetti's decision, however, allows the victims to be in court all the time, even if they are supposed to testify later in the process.

“In order for the victims and our customers who are there, this cathartic experience with the observation of an entire process was extremely important,” said Antonio Romanucci, a lawyer who represents several victims and their families in a lawsuit.

Robert Crimo III is in front of more than 100 charges, including 21 first degree murder cases, for the shooters of former school resource officers who knew the suspect.

While the Highland Park community is preparing to experience some of the trauma they have experienced, say those who were at the parade will not concentrate on violence or the accused.

“On this day there was a person who did a lot of damage. But what actually noticed me that day was how many people were there for their community,” said the survivor Selig, the surviving Shane Selig .

By his lawyer, Robert Crimo Jr. published the following explanation before the process: Robert Crimo Jr.

“I love my son very much,” he said. “I support his decision to stand in court in this case. How every person in this country deserves Bobby the presumption of innocence and a fair procedure. No matter what happens, you will always be my son.”

The attempt could take between four and six weeks.

Crimo's case slowly occurred and has had several delays in the past two years.

In December 2023, Crimo III insisted that he wanted to fire his public defenders and represent himself. He turned up this decision abruptly weeks later.

Crimo III later withdrew from a plea deal, in which the alleged shooter for 55 charges of the first-degree murder and 48 cases of tightened battery were known with a firearm, while all remaining charges were against him. dismissed.

He is now not guilty of all charges, including several first degree murder counts.

The authorities said that the accused shooter confessed in the days after opening the fire from a roof in Highland Park.

According to the authorities, Crimo III, a resident of the nearby Highwood, bought the rifle legally. But for the first time, he applied for a state weapon license when he was 19 years old, too young to apply independently in Illinois. His father sponsored the application, although the police reports show that a relative of the police reported for months that Crimo III had threatened to “kill everyone” and to have exposed several threats to kill himself.

Crimo III's father accepted a deal in November 2023 to guilty that there are seven. He was sentenced to 60 days in prison, but was released early in December 2023 for good behavior.