WAUKEGAN, Ill. — In a courtroom setting that left attendees surprised and uncertain, Robert E. Crimo III, the 23-year-old charged with the tragic Highland Park shooting during the 2022 Independence Day parade, decisively turned down a plea agreement. Crimo faced the prospect of a lifetime imprisonment for the murder of seven people and the wounding of many others if he had accepted the deal which involved pleading guilty to multiple counts of murder and aggravated battery.
During the tense Wednesday session, amid the watchful eyes of victims’ families and other observers, Lake County prosecutor Ben Dillon outlined the proposed plea that would involve Crimo admitting to seven counts of first-degree murder and an additional 48 counts of aggravated battery using a firearm. The agreement would effectively ensure Crimo’s life imprisonment without eligibility for parole on the murder charges.
The court, filled with relatives and friends of the deceased and wounded, grew quiet as Judge Victoria Rossetti asked Crimo whether he acknowledged discussing the plea with his defense. After a moment of silence, and a glance towards his parents sitting in the front row, Crimo nonverbally communicated with his lawyers, Greg Ticsay and Anton Trizna. Following a brief consultation, upon their return, when prompted by Judge Rossetti about his desire to proceed with the plea, Crimo responded simply with a “No.”
This unforeseen rejection came nearly two years after the Highland Park incident, a suburb north of Chicago, where Crimo allegedly fired from a rooftop, disrupting the festive celebrations and profoundly impacting the community. The unsettling memory of chairs, bicycles, and strollers scattered abandoned as families fled the chaos remains vivid in the town’s collective memory.
The refusal of the plea means that Crimo’s legal proceedings will extend into a full trial, scheduled for February. This decision visibly affected those in the courtroom, some of whom expected to deliver impact statements at what they hoped would be the conclusion of a painful legal process leading up to another Fourth of July holiday.
Expressing their unresolved grief and frustration, the families and survivors must now brace for further proceedings. Karina Mendez, whose father Eduardo Uvaldo was killed in the attack, noted the difficulty of facing the accused in court, underscoring the emotional toll it extracts from the victims’ families.
Leah Sundheim, who lost her mother Jacquelyn in the shooting, echoed this sentiment. She shared her disappointment and heartache over the continued lack of closure, emphasizing how Crimo’s refusal of the plea manifested a disregard for human dignity and the victims’ need for healing.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys wrapped up the day’s eventful session without providing additional comments, citing the ongoing nature of the case. Outside the courthouse, the community, still healing from the tragedy, remains united in their desire for justice and resolution, while the legal battle continues to unfold, now set for a full jury trial. Meanwhile, the nation watches, waiting to see how this case that shook a small community on a day meant for celebration will conclude in court.