Waukegan, Ill. – The man who admitted to a 2022 mass shots In a suburban parade of Chicago Independence Day, he was sentenced on Thursday, one day after survivors and witnesses He gave emotional testimony About how their lives have changed since he killed seven people and hurt more dozen.
Robert E. Crimto III, 24, He changed his plea For guilty last month, few moments before the beginning of his trial. His case has progressed slowly, partly due to his erratic behavior. That story continued on Wednesday when he refused to attend the Court despite the previous warnings of a judge that the case would proceed without him.
Keely Roberts, Cuyo 8 -year -old son Cooper Roberts It was the youngest person wounded and is Valure paralyzed downcalled Crimto “Cobarde” for not attending.
“You won’t listen to my pain,” he said. “Now you are irrelevant.”
Some survivors called Crime a “monster”, while another cited his faith in forgiving him. Many described feeling empty or facing a deep sadness from the shooting. Some no longer attend public meetings.
Crimto will surely spend the rest of his life behind bars. He declared himself guilty of 21 first -degree murder positions, three positions for each person murdered, and 48 positions of murder attempt. Each first -degree murder count involves a maximum life imprisonment in Illinois.
But even in their absence, prosecutors made sure that their own words about the attack took the center of the stage before the judgment decision of Judge Victoria Rossetti.
They used the first day of the audience to reveal parts of the treasure of evidence prepared for the trial, including key parts of Crimto recorded on video confession.
In a recording of the police interview, that defense lawyers tried to have ruled out, a blank face Crimpo collapsed in a chair with crossed arms. He told the officers that he briefly reconsidered the attack due to a problem with the gun. He later fixed the weapon.
“I climbed the stairs, jumped to the roof and opened fire,” he said.
Crimto was quiet and arrogant, even laughing and joking, said Brian Bodden, a Highland Park police officer.
Prosecutors recreated the horror of the day in the exclusive community of approximately 30,000 people north of Chicago, showing videos taken along the parade route and asking the witnesses to count the terrifying sequelae of the attack.
In a video, a music band played “You’re a Grand Old Flag” before shooting. The musicians who carry instruments ran when the emergency sirens sounded, fleeing along with other attendees.
Many cried during the testimony, while others surrounded each other inside the Lake County Court Chamber.
He Seven people killed They were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; And he married the Kevin McCarthy couple, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
The father of charge, Robert Crimeo Jr., former candidate for mayor, was accused in relation to how his son obtained a weapons license. He declared himself guilty in 2023 to Seven minor crimes of reckless behavior. He served less two months in jail.
