UPDATED 8/3, 1:17 p.m. ET: Following the indictment of Robert E. Crimo III on the a slew of felonies in connection with the Highland Park mass shooting, attorneys representing the alleged shooter have entered a plea of not guilty.
Per the Chicago Tribune, attorneys for Crimo entered the plea during an arraignment hearing in Lake County Circuit Court on Wednesday. An in-court case management conference is now set to take place at the top of November.
See original story below.
The accused gunman in the Highland Park mass shooting has been hit with more criminal charges.
According to ABC News, an Illinois grand jury indicted Robert “Bobby” Crimo III on 117 counts in connection to an attack at a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb.
The 21-year-old suspect is accused of opening fire on a crowd, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured. Lake County prosecutors announced the man is now facing 21 counts of first-degree murder (three for each victim), 48 counts of attempted murder, and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
He was previously facing only seven charges of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say the gunman gained access to a rooftop overlooking the parade in downtown Highland Park. At around 10:15 a.m., he allegedly fired more than 70 rounds into a crowd, using an AR-15-like weapon he bought legally. Authorities say more than 30 people between the ages of 8 and 80 were wounded in the attack.
The suspect was arrested the following evening after an eight-hour manhunt. Officials claim he admitted to carrying out the shooting when confronted by law enforcement.
Those who were killed in the shooting were identified as 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, 35-year-old Irina McCarthy, 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim, 88-year-old Stephen Straus, and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo.
“I want to thank law enforcement and the prosecutors who presented evidence to the grand jury today,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement Wednesday. “Our investigation continues, and our victim specialists are working around the clock to support all those affected by this crime that led to 117 felony counts being filed today.”
