Trial for alleged Highland Park parade shooter begins with jury selection
7 killed, nearly 50 injured in shooting July 4, 2022
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- Jury selection got underway Monday in the trial of Robert Crimo III.
Crimo was dressed in a dark suit and tie and was clean-shaven Monday. He also had a fresh haircut: a very different look than his prior court appearances, during which he's had long hair and been dressed in a jumpsuit and shackles.
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He occasionally looked at jurors as they were being questioned and appeared to be jotting things down on paper.
He did not return to court Monday afternoon.
The judge has previously told him that they will continue the proceedings, even if he chooses not to come.
Potential jurors filled out a questionnaire Monday morning to decide the 12-member jury, plus six alternates.
At least seven jurors were chosen Monday.
A radio reporter who's had correspondence with Crimo in jail and has been reporting on the case in a podcast was removed from the courtroom, and will be unable to sit in throughout the entire trial because he may be called as a potential witness by the prosecution.
As for the defendant, Crimo was initially charged with 117 counts of murder and attempted murder.
He is accused of planning the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting for weeks, killing seven people and injuring nearly 50 others with an assault weapon.
Crimo was initially charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder - three counts for each person killed - as well as 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery. But on Monday, Lake County prosecutors sought to drop the 47 less serious aggravated battery counts in an apparent effort to streamline the case. They briefly noted the move ahead of jury selection without any explanation. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti signed the one-page order to dismiss the charges.
The Lake County state's attorney's office declined to comment Monday.
"It's not unusual. They want to make sure they focus on the charges that they have that are the most strong, and streamline in the case," attorney Ted McNabola said.
Prosecutors have turned over about 10,000 pages of evidence, as well as hours of a video-taped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting. But the 24-year-old Crimo has since pleaded not guilty.
Court proceedings have made parts of the interrogation public, and defense attorneys tried unsuccessfully to have the videos thrown out, alleging Crimo's rights were being violated.
Videos show officers repeatedly asking Crimo if he understood his Miranda rights, which include the right to remain silent and have an attorney present.
"I've heard them a million times," Crimo said at one point.
Prosecutors also have shown footage of a person dressed in women's clothing and identified by police as Crimo headed toward the parade route on the morning of July 4, 2022.
Something that could also hurt the defense is Crimo's unpredictable behavior in court.
He didn't show up to two previous court hearings, refusing to leave his Lake County jail cell. And in June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, he showed up to court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal, surprising even his lawyers. He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself, then abruptly reversed himself.
Now, his fate will be placed in the hands of a jury.
Finding 12 objective jurors in the highly publicized crime is a challenge.
"It's difficult to put what they've heard out of their mind and find a juror who can be fair," McNabola said.
The accused shooter's father, Robert Crimo Jr., walked into court Monday morning, with his mother appearing separately shortly after.
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Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct. The charges focused on how his son obtained a gun license.
An attorney for Crimo Jr. released the following statement on his behalf, saying, "I love my son very much. I fully support his decision to go trial in this case. Like any human being in this country, Bobby deserves the presumption of innocence and a fair trial. No matter what happens, you will always be my son."
Prosecutors said nearly all of the 48 survivors from that day plan to testify. The trial is expected to last three to five weeks.
Opening statements are expected next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
