A trial is to begin for a man accused of murdering seven people during an Independence Day parade in Chicago.
Robert Crimo III is accused of perching on a roof in downtown Highland Park and shooting at crowds assembled for the 2022 parade.
Seven people died, including the parents of a toddler, and dozens were wounded.
The youngest victim was an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.
Killed in the shooting were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
Jury selection will begin on Monday, following a number of delays.
That is partly due to Crimo’s erratic behavior, which has raised questions about what to expect at trial.
The shooting
Witnesses described confusion as shots rang out at the parade, followed by terror as families abandoned the route.
Chairs and strollers were left behind as people sought refuge inside buildings.
City leaders canceled the parade the following year. However, it was reinstated in 2024 with a memorial for the victims.
Mayor Nancy Rotering has said the city does not want to be defined by the mass shooting. The parade will run once again in July 2025, but without fireworks, partly because of “community trauma.”
“This year’s parade theme reminds us that teams bring people together in support of a common goal, and that we are most resilient when we support each other,” Rotering said.
The case
Crimo faces 21 counts of first-degree murder – three counts for each person killed – as well as 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery.
Prosecutors have turned over about 10,000 pages of evidence, as well as hours of a video-taped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting.
However, the 24-year-old has since pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal.
Court proceedings have made parts of the interrogation public, and defense attorneys tried unsuccessfully to have the videos thrown out, alleging Crimo’s rights were being violated.
Videos show officers repeatedly asking Crimo if he understood his Miranda rights, which include the right to remain silent and have an attorney present.
“I’ve heard them a million times,” Crimo said at one point.
Prosecutors also have shown footage of a person dressed in women’s clothing and identified by police as Crimo headed toward the parade route on the morning of July 4, 2022.
Something that could also hurt the defense is Crimo’s unpredictable behavior in court.
He didn’t show up to two previous court hearings, refusing to leave his Lake County jail cell. And in June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, he showed up to court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal, surprising even his lawyers. He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself, then abruptly reversed himself.
“Anything could happen at this point,” said Eric Johnson, a law professor at the University of Illinois.
Crimo’s defense attorneys and Lake County prosecutors have repeatedly declined comment ahead of the trial.
The family
Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct. The charges focused on how his son obtained a gun license.
In 2019, at age 19, Crimo III was only allowed to apply for a gun license with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative had reported to police that his son had a collection of knives and had threatened to “kill everyone.”
Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate and former owner of a now-closed deli, has attended his son’s court hearings, making eye contact with him during hearings. He declined to discuss the case in detail.
“As a parent, I love my son very much and Bobby loves this country more than anyone would ever know,” he said during a phone interview. “I have no further comment.”
The jury
Potential jurors are due at the courthouse in Waukegan on Monday for what attorneys expect to be a monthlong trial. But the high-profile case could complicate efforts to find a jury.
Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.
Those who have spoken out declined interviews ahead of the trial. Some are expected to testify, along with police and a former school resource officer who encountered Crimo during middle and high school.
Experts say attorneys will have to approach juror selection with extra care.
“There is information that’s out there,” said Alan Tuerkheimer, who consults lawyers on jury strategy but isn’t involved in the trial.
“This is the kind of thing that has affected people in the community.”
