Alleged Highland Park mass shooter Robert Crimo III appears in wheelchair, rejects plea deal days before anniversary of July 4 parade massacre
The accused mass shooter who is charged with gunning down seven people during the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade rejected a plea deal on Wednesday in front of shocked survivors and family members.
Robert Crimo III, 23, had initially agreed to plead guilty to seven murder counts and 48 other charges in exchange for life in prison.
However, at the last minute, Crimo abruptly backed out of the deal, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The 23-year-old, appeared in a wheel chair, sporting a “47” facial tattoo, which experts previously speculated could be the date of the mass shooting (7/4) in reverse.
Crimo, who was indicted on more than 100 felony counts after opening fire on a crowd of parade goers in the upscale Chicago suburb, was silent in court after deputies brought him in on a wheelchair.
It was the first time he had appeared in court in a wheelchair. Officials did not state the reason for the mobility device.
When he was asked about the plea deal, Crimo remained quiet, with his attorneys asking for a recess to discuss the deal.
After Crimo and his defense team returned, the suspected mass murderer simply said, “No,” to the plea deal, with the judge setting his trial for February 25, 2025.
The sudden change came as a shock to the victims and their families, who were ready to give their testimony on how the shooting had affected them before Judge Victoria Rossetti was expected to deliver her sentence.
“We came to court today in hopes that we could put this out of our mind,” Leah Sundheim, the daughter of slain victim Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63, told reporters outside the courthouse.
“We have Fourth of July coming up and it’ll be two years and all I wanted was to fully grieve my mom without the trial, knowing that he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail,” Leah added.
“And instead, he was shown, yet again, his complete and blatant disregard for humans.”
Wednesday’s abrupt change is not the first time Crimo has left the courtroom confused over a sudden shift in his defense strategy.
Last year, Crimo elected to represent himself in court, but then after being reminded by Rossetti of the obstacles of serving as his own lawyer, the suspect walked back on the decision in December.
Crimo’s latest U-turn means he will face the full 117 felony counts in court tied to the horrific shooting, where prosecutors alleged Crimo climbed atop a store in downtown Highland Park and opened fire on civilians with a high-powered rifle.
In addition to the seven people killed, 48 people, including an 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed, were injured.
Police said Crimo dressed as a woman to escape amid the panicked crowd, driving off to Wisconsin before returning to Illinois the next day.
Officials have alleged that Crimo “seriously contemplated” another mass shooting at a July Fourth celebration in Madison, Wis., before turning back.
Nearly two years since his arrest, Crimo has remained silent, with his motives unknown.
Investigators previously flagged Crimo’s bizarre obsession with the numbers 4 and 7, which he has tattooed on the right side of his face.
While officials did not elaborate on the numbers’ significance, many have speculated that it played a role in Crimo’s decision to attack on the Fourth of July, as its date is 7/4.
