After nearly three years, the trial for the suspect charged with killing seven people and injuring dozens during the 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park was set to get underway on Monday.
Jury selection was slated to begin at 9 a.m. in Waukegan after numerous delays.
In the final pre-trial hearing on Thursday, a judge ruled victims of the parade shooting will be allowed to attend the full duration of the trial.
Potential witnesses are typically excluded from being inside the courtroom until after they testify. However, Judge Victoria Rosetti's ruling allows victims to be present in court the entire time, even if they are scheduled to testify later in the trial.
"For the victims and our clients, for them to be there, to have this cathartic experience of watching a whole trial was extremely important," said Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing several victims and their families in a lawsuit.
Robert Crimo III is facing more than 100 charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, for the shooting that killed seven and wounded 48. Prosecutors have said they plan to identify Crimo as the shooting suspect based on video surveillance and the testimony of a former school resource officer who knew the suspect.
As the Highland Park community prepares to relive some of the trauma they experienced, those who were at the parade say they won’t focus on the violence or the defendant.
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"On that day, there was one person that did a lot of, that inflicted a lot of harm. But what actually stood out to me on that day was how many more people were there for their community," shooting survivor Shane Selig stated.
Through his attorney, Crimo III's father, Robert Crimo Jr. released the following statement ahead of the trial:
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“I love my son very much," he said. "I fully support his decision to go trial in this case. Like any human being in this country, Bobby deserves the presumption of innocence and a fair trial. No matter what happens, you will always be my son.”
The trial could last between four and six weeks.
Crimo's case proceeded slowly and faced multiple delays over the past two years.
In December 2023, Crimo III insisted he wanted to fire his public defenders and represent himself. He abruptly reversed that decision weeks later.
Crimo III later backed out of a plea deal that would have meant the alleged gunman pleaded guilty to 55 charges -- seven counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm -- while all remaining charges against him would have been dismissed.
He now pleads not guilty to all charges, including multiple first-degree murder counts.
Authorities have said the accused gunman confessed to police in the days after he opened fire from a rooftop in Highland Park.
Crimo III, a resident of nearby Highwood, legally purchased the rifle, according to authorities. But he first applied for a state gun license in 2019 when he was 19, too young to apply independently in Illinois. His father sponsored the application, though police reports show that months earlier a relative reported to police that Crimo III had threatened to "kill everyone" and had made several threats to kill himself.
Crimo III’s father accepted a deal in November 2023 to plead guilty to seven misdemeanor reckless conduct counts – one for each person his son is accused of killing. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail but was released early for good behavior in December 2023.
