The trial got underway on Monday for the man accused of opening fire at Highland’s Fourth of July parade in 2022, killing seven and injuring dozens. NBC Chicago’s Patrick Fazio reports.
Jury selection began Monday in the murder trial of accused Highland Park parade shooter Robert Crimo III, with prosecutors dropping dozens of aggravated battery charges in the case.
Prosecutors have charged Crimo with 21 counts of first-degree murder, three for each of the seven victims killed in the July 4, 2022 attack, and 48 counts of attempted murder.
On Monday, Lake County prosecutors sought to drop 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, with Judge Victoria Rossetti signing off on the motion.
Lake County officials did not comment on why they sought to drop the less-serious charges in the case, according to reporting from the Associated Press, and no reason was given in court.
Monday marked the start of jury selection in the case, with 12 jurors and six alternates to be selected in coming days. Opening statements are expected to begin Monday, with the trial set to last three-to-five weeks, Rossetti told jurors during the initial hearings.
Crimo, wearing a black suit and tie, was unshackled and sat next to his attorneys during the morning session in the courtroom, but he was not in the seat when jury selection resumed Monday afternoon. Previously the judge had warned Crimo they would proceed without him if he were not in the courtroom.
The legal case has taken several twists and turns, with Crimo backing out of a plea deal in the case last summer. He had instead decided to plead not guilty and had sought to represent himself in the case, though he once again has defense attorneys for the trial as it gets underway.
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Prosecutors have turned over thousands of pages in evidence, as well as video of Crimo’s questioning where he allegedly confessed to the shooting, according to police.
Defense attorneys have tried to bar that video from being shown at trial, arguing that Crimo’s Constitutional rights were violated. According to the Associated Press, the video shows detectives repeatedly asking Crimo if he understood his Miranda Rights during the questioning.
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Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct after signing a sponsorship allowing his son to apply for a gun license. He had signed the sponsorship even after a relative had reported to police that Crimo III had made violent threats in the past, according to prosecutors.
Crimo’s father and mother were both in the courtroom on Monday.
“I love my son very much. I fully support his decision to go (to) trial in this case. Like any human being in this country, Bobby deserves the presumption of innocence and a fair trial,” he had said in a statement.
As jury selection continues, victims of the shooting say they are hoping to be in the courtroom during the trial, and are expressing hope that Crimo won’t “drag (them) through an emotional rollercoaster” in the weeks ahead.
“I hope that he isn't able to drag the victims through an emotional rollercoaster and those that have to testify,” Shane Seelig told NBC News. “I have seen him, you know, before he answers the judge, turn around and look at the victims and see what their reaction is and how they're hanging on his words. And it is pretty chilling to see.”
