Man Pleads Guilty to 2022 Highland Park July Fourth Parade Shooting
WAUKEGAN, Ill. – Nearly three years after a tragic mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade left seven people dead and dozens wounded, Robert E. Crimo III pleaded guilty on Monday to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
During the court proceedings, Lake County Judge Victoria A. Rossetti asked Crimo, “Is this what you want to do today, plead guilty?”
“Yes,” the 24-year-old responded.
Dressed in a black suit and white shirt, Crimo stared straight ahead as the court read out 69 criminal charges against him. His mother, Denise Pesina, objected at one point, prompting an officer to approach her. However, Judge Rossetti intervened, saying, “I don’t want to embarrass you. You are his mother, but you are not a party to this proceeding. If you want to stay, please take a seat and be quiet.”
Life Sentence Without Parole
Crimo’s sentencing is set for April 23, but Judge Rossetti has already confirmed that he will serve a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
Man Pleads Guilty, Following the guilty plea, Ashbey Beasley, a survivor who attended the parade with her son, said, “I think there was a huge collective sigh of relief. We wanted justice.”
A Calculated and Premeditated Attack
Law enforcement officials revealed that Crimo had planned the attack for weeks. During the parade, he opened fire from a rooftop using an AR-style rifle and then fled the scene disguised in women’s clothing.
After escaping, he drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where he allegedly contemplated carrying out another mass shooting, prosecutors said.
Police apprehended Crimo eight hours after the attack. He later confessed to firing three 30-round magazines into the parade crowd in what prosecutors described as a “cold, calculated, and premeditated attack.” However, authorities have yet to determine a clear motive.
Families Devastated by the Tragedy
The victims of the shooting ranged in age from 35 to 88. Among them were Irina and Kevin McCarthy, who died while shielding their 2-year-old son. 8-year-old Cooper Roberts was left paralyzed from the waist down.
In the chaos, one father hid his young son in a dumpster while trying to protect other family members.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering expressed her grief, stating, “Our hearts remain with the families whose loved ones were senselessly taken, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act. Today’s guilty plea is an important step towards justice, but it does not erase the pain we share.”
