WAUKEGAN (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Robert Crimo III., the man accused of the 2022 mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July Parade, has changed his plea to guilty the same morning that a trial was set to begin.
It’s the latest twist in a legal case that has been far from orthodox.
Crimo asked Judge Victoria Rossetti if he could withdraw his not-guilty plea to all 69 counts- 21 counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of attempted murder.
Opening statements were scheduled to start this morning for the trial of the man alleged to have murdered seven people and wounded four dozen others at the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July Parade.
According to WBBM’s Nancy Harty, Rosetti asked Crimo if he was on medication and understood what he was doing. Crimo responded, saying he did understand and was not medicated. In the courtroom, Crimo’s mother attempted to stop him from changing the plea, but Rossetti told her the court was going to move forward and she was not party to this case.
Crimo faces natural life in prison. He’s due for sentencing on April 23.
Harty reported that most of the survivors went home to process. One of the people who was at the 2022 parade with her son, Ashbey Beasley, said the community is feeling a huge collective sense of relief.
“Our community wanted justice,” Beasley said.
Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart says his team was ready to present evidence Robert Crimo III was guilty.
“DNA testing, fingerprint identification, firearm records, video evidence, identification evidence that put him in the alley walking up to the roof that put him on the roof and that had him descending from the roof right after the shooting.
"We were also prepared to present his voluntary confession."
She has attended several of the court hearings leading up to this shocking move ahead of opening statements.
Last week a jury was selected for a trial that was expected to last three to five weeks. Many of the 48 wounded intended to testify.
Today is not the first surprising development in this case. In December of 2023, Crimo fired his public defenders and decided to represent himself, only to change his mind a month later.
Last June, he backed out a plea deal that would have put him in prison for life, much to the anguish of the survivors and relatives of the victims who had gathered in court.
Crimo appeared in a dark suit last week, not wearing handcuffs as he has throughout this process.
WBBM's Nancy Harty contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WBBM Newsradio for updates.
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