Man charged in mass shooting at Fourth of July parade near Chicago to stand trial next February

CHICAGO– The man accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens of others, including children, during a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb in 2022 will stand trial in February, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Robert Crimo III is charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery for the Highland Park shooting. Judge Victoria Rossetti on Wednesday scheduled his trial to begin on February 24, 2025.

Crimo faces a mandatory life sentence without parole if convicted of first-degree murder.

Authorities say Crimo, 23, confessed to police in the days after he opened fire from a rooftop in Highland Park, terrifying parade participants and spectators. Authorities have said he initially fled to the Madison, Wisconsin, area and contemplated a second shooting at a parade there, but returned to Chicago’s northern suburbs.

Wednesday’s scheduling decision followed several months of uncertainty over a timeline for the accused gunman’s trial.

Crimo fired his public defenders in December and told Judge Victoria Rossetti he would represent himself. He also demanded an earlier trial date. But a few weeks later he asked the judge to reinstate his lawyers.

Lake County prosecutors said Wednesday they could be prepared for an earlier start this fall. Rossetti declined, saying both parties had agreed to a February 2025 start date before Crimo’s brief push to represent himself.

Rossetti scheduled a hearing for April 24 to discuss attorneys’ progress in preparing for trial.