Highland Park Shooting Update: Suspect Charged, Some Plans Revealed, Victims ID’ed

(Highland Park, IL)  Charges have been filed against the suspect in the Highland Park mass shooting. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart says Robert Crimo III faces 7 counts of first degree murder from the Monday shootings. Rinehart also says additional charges such as attempted murder and more will be added at a later date to cover those that were injured. Crimo is due in court for a bond hearing today, and prosecutors are expected to ask that the 21-year-old be held without bond.

More details have been released about the 4th of July parade shooting in Highland Park. Officials with the Lake County Major Crime Task Force say their main suspect, Robert Crimo III had been planning the shooting for weeks, though the actual motivation for the attack remains unknown. Authorities did say, however, that there hasn’t been any indication that the attack was racially or religiously motivated. The 21-year-old was said to gain access to a rooftop along the parade route, and fired around 70 shots Monday morning. Authorities say Crimo was then able to blend in with the fleeing crowd after the shooting by dressing like a woman. He was spotted along Route 41 in North Chicago about 8 hours later, and was arrested near Lake Forest after a short police chase. In total, 7 people died and over 30 people were injured, including a handful of children. Several of the victims have been released, but others still remain hospitalized.

Investigators have released some information about the Highland Park shooting suspect’s past. Robert Crimo III reportedly attempted suicide in April of 2019, then police responded a couple months later to threats from the then teenager, who had reportedly threatened to “kill everyone” that was at a residence. During that incident, police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no sign he had any guns. Illinois State Police say Crimo then applied for a FOID card in December of 2019, and his father sponsored the application. Despite the previous police calls, ISP determined there was “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” to deny that application. Crimo also passed federal background checks on several occasions in 2020 and 2021..and State Police say no mental health reports that would prohibit him having firearms, were submitted by healthcare facilities or personnel.

 Autopsies have been completed on 6 of the 7 victims of the 4th of July parade shooting in Highland Park. The Lake County Coroner’s Office didn’t release the findings of the autopsies, but did release the identifications of the deceased. They include 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza of Morelos, Mexico…88-year-old Stephen Straus of Highland Park…63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim of Highland Park…64-year-old Katherine Goldstein of Highland Park…and 35 and 37-year-old couple Irina and Kevin McCarthy of Highland Park. The McCarthy’s toddler was found alone after the shooting, and has since been reunited with his grandparents. A GoFundMe for the couple has reached nearly 2-million-dollars as of this morning.