Jury selection was set to begin Monday for the trial of an Illinois man accused of opening fire at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago in 2022, turning the patriotic festivities into a chaotic bloodbath that left seven people dead and dozens more wounded. Robert Crimo III, now 24, is accused of firing into the crowd from a rooftop overlooking the parade in Highland Park, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. Authorities say he fled, disguising himself as a woman to blend into the pandemonium ignited by the barrage of bullets, USA Today reports. Crimo agreed last year to plead guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, but during a court hearing in June, he changed his mind, prompting a trial. Leah Sundheim, whose mother, Jacki Lovi Sundheim, 63, was killed in the shooting, called Crimo "evil and manipulative." "All I wanted was to fully grieve my mom without the looming trial, knowing that he is going to spend the rest of his life in jail," Sundheim said. "Instead we were yet again shown his complete and blatant disregard for humans or anyone."
Illinois passed an assault weapons ban six months after the mass shooting. The Protect Illinois Communities Act made Illinois one of at least nine states to approve some form of ban assault-style weapons. The law prohibits the sale, manufacture, possession and purchase of assault-style weapons, assault weapon attachments and .50 caliber cartridges in the state. In November 2023, Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 100 hours of community service. He was initially charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct. Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said Crimo Jr. took a "reckless and unjustified risk" when he sponsored an application for his son to obtain a firearm owners ID card in 2019, allowing him to apply for a gun license. Authorities said he okayed the application even after a relative had accused his son of threatening to "kill everyone."
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