Highland Park shooting suspect indicted on more than 100 felony counts

An Illinois grand jury has indicted the 21-year-old suspect in the shooting of parade attendees in a Chicago suburb with more than 100 felony counts. Seven people were killed and more than 40 injured in the Fourth of July attack.

Robert E. Crimo III was indicted by the Lake County grand jury on every one of the 117 counts presented by the county’s State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, D, a slew of charges for those killed in the Highland Park shooting as well as those who were struck by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel. The charges are 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each deceased victim; 48 counts of attempted murder; and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.

Crimo, who faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, has been held without bail after he was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder a day after the massacre that rocked the quiet, close-knit community. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Wednesday. His public defender declined to comment.

[Parade shooting suspect told police he considered attempting a second massacre]

Investigators said Crimo, who was arrested several hours after the shooting, confessed to the deadly rampage. Officials said he fired more than 80 rounds into a crowd gathered to celebrate America’s independence, sending families scrambling for safety and leaving seven adults dead, among them the parents of a toddler, a preschool teacher and a father of eight. He then fled, leading police on a brief chase. Investigators said that while on the run he considered carrying out an attack in Madison, Wis.

In a statement, Rinehart thanked the law enforcement and prosecutors who presented evidence to the grand jury.

“Our investigation continues, and our victim specialists are working around the clock to support all those affected by this crime that led to 117 felony counts being filed today,” the state’s attorney said.

Authorities are investigating what led to the mass shooting, the latest in a spate to hit American communities in recent months, including Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo.

[Would the new gun bill have prevented Highland Park? It’s complicated.]

Gun violence that has shocked the nation this summer contributed to congressional efforts to pass a bipartisan gun-violence measure that President Joe Biden signed nine days before the Highland Park shooting.

The attack has raised questions about whether Crimo could have been stopped with stricter red-flag laws. He had at least two encounters with police before the shooting but was still able to legally buy five firearms, including the semiautomatic rifle police say he used in the attack.

Police came into contact with Crimo in April 2019 after a report that he had tried to die by suicide. In September, one of his family members called the police to report that he threatened to “kill everyone,” which led to authorities confiscating knives, a dagger and a sword but not arrest him.

Months later, his father sponsored his application to own a firearm. Crimo’s parents said they had not noticed warning signs before the shooting and don’t know what their son’s motive was.