7 killed, dozens wounded in 4th of July parade shooting
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- The trial for the suspect in the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting has begun.
Robert Crimo III is accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens in the mass shooting.
The trial in Waukegan is expected to last weeks.
Stick with ABC7 Chicago for the latest updates.
The final alternate was selected, completing the jury Wednesday evening.
He's a man who works as a cook, and lives with his mother.
He also plays video games.
The jury is comprised of retirees, suburban mothers and fathers, several gun owners and video game enthusiasts.
Legal experts say Crimo is hurting his case by skipping the proceedings.
"What if we have a scenario where one week he's there, one week he's not? The jury's going to, instead of concentrating on guilt or innocence, the issue is he going to show up or not," criminal attorney Steve Simonian said.
If convicted, Crimo is expected to get life in prison, with no possibility of parole: all the more reason experts say Crimo should be in court.
"He's not able to participate in something with such high stakes," Simonian said.
Public defender Gregory Ticsay met with Crimo's father Wednesday, and urged him to get his son to come to court.
Robert Crimo III will not be in court on Wednesday.
The sergeant in the court that's assigned to transport Crimo to and from Lake County Jail, said Crimo was asked more than once if he was coming to court, and he said "no."
Judge Rosetti reminded attorneys that jury selection will proceed without the defendant.
Crimo's father was also not in court on Wednesday morning.
There will be no further court appearances this week in the trial of alleged Highland Park parade shooter Robert Crimo III.
The full jury trial will begin at 9 a.m. Monday after jury selection was completed Wednesday.
There will be no court dates on Fridays during the trial, which is expected to last several weeks.
The final alternate was selected, completing the jury Wednesday evening.
He's a man who works as a cook, and lives with his mother.
He also plays video games.
The jury is comprised of retirees, suburban mothers and fathers, several gun owners and video game enthusiasts.
Legal experts say Crimo is hurting his case by skipping the proceedings.
"What if we have a scenario where one week he's there, one week he's not? The jury's going to, instead of concentrating on guilt or innocence, the issue is he going to show up or not," criminal attorney Steve Simonian said.
If convicted, Crimo is expected to get life in prison, with no possibility of parole: all the more reason experts say Crimo should be in court.
"He's not able to participate in something with such high stakes," Simonian said.
Public defender Gregory Ticsay met with Crimo's father Wednesday, and urged him to get his son to come to court.
The 5th alternate has been selected.
He is a man who says he owns a gun for self-defense.
His daughter was working inside a building in downtown Highland Park at the time of the parade shooting. She told her father she saw people running scared down the street.
One more alternate is needed.
