Alleged Highland Park shooter's comments to police after mass shooting to be allowed during trial

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 5:16PM CT
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- The man accused of opening fire during Highland Park's Fourth of July parade in 2022 appeared in court Wednesday.

Robert Crimo III is set to go on trial next year.



Wednesday's hearing focused on Crimo's own comments to police after the shooting.

Those interviews will be allowed during the trial.



Crimo walked into a Lake County courtroom Wednesday morning, carrying what appeared to be a copy of the Muslim holy book the Quran.

His attorneys hoped Judge Victoria Rossetti would agree to prohibit an interview Crimo gave to police hours after the shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.

The shooting killed seven people and injured dozens more.

RELATED: Highland Park 4th of July parade returns 2 years after deadly shooting

His attorneys argued that police violated Crimo's rights by failing to tell him an attorney his family hired was waiting in the police station while he was being interviewed upstairs.



The judge, however, ruled Crimo waived his Miranda rights, and said several times on video that he did not need to talk to an attorney. Prosecutors say the trial is on track to begin in late February.

Numerous victims of the shooting and their families were on-hand in court to see the judge also agree that a former school resource officer would be allowed to testify.

That officer identified Crimo from video at the scene of the shooting.

Prosecutors previously played the video in court allegedly showing Crimo wearing women's clothing walking down an alley moments before and after the shooting, next to the building from where the shots came.

Crimo sat quietly with no visible reaction during the proceedings.



The judge granted a request by Crimo's attorneys that he be allowed to call his family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

He is due back in court early next month.

In a statement Wednesday, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office said, "While our office will not comment on the type or amount of evidence that will be introduced at trial, we agree with the judge's factual findings and legal ruling that police and prosecutors honored all of the defendant's constitutional rights on July 4 and July 5, 2022. We are continuing to prepare for the previously set trial date, February 24, 2025."
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