Who is Robert Crimo III? Highland Park mass shooting accused pleads guilty ahead of trial

Robert E. Crimo III, a man accused of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for the mass shooting at the 2022 Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois pleaded guilty on Monday, March 3, 2025

The 24-year-old accused had previously pleaded not guilty. Now he changed his stance moments before opening statements were set to begin in his trial. Robert's plea ends what was expected to be a month-long trial. It is expected to spare the survivors and victims' families from reliving the tragic events in court.

He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. This is affirmed by the fact that each first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence.

The shooting took place on July 4, 2022, leaving seven people dead and over 50 others wounded. The attack sent waves of shock and grief through the Highland Park community and across the country.

Prosecutors had gathered evidence, including police statements where Crimo admitted to the crime. Moreover, there are forensic reports, ballistics evidence, and hours of interrogation footage, among others.

Robert Crimo’s guilty plea change comes after a long legal process, during which he dismissed his public defenders. He also attempted to represent himself and previously backed out of a plea deal at the last minute, Rolling Stone reports. The resolution to the case has brought relief to many in the community.

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Robert Crimo III's guilty plea brings trial to a relatively abrupt end

As the courtroom prepared for the start of the Highland Park mass shooting trial, Judge Victoria Rossetti read out the charges against Robert. The judge asked him whether he had discussed his plea change with his attorneys. The accused responded with a "yes" to each of her questions, as per People magazine. He confirmed that he understood the consequences of his decision.

His mother, Denise Pesina, had an emotional outburst in the courtroom and was warned by the judge to remain silent if she wished to stay.

With the guilty plea, the trial was immediately called off. The jury was dismissed. The judge confirmed that Robert Crimo had voluntarily waived his right to a trial and accepted responsibility for all 69 counts, which included 21 counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of attempted murder.

People Magazine reports that the Mayor of Highland Park, Nancy Rotering, shared in a Facebook statement:

"Our thoughts and hearts remain with the families whose loved ones were senselessly taken, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act. We continue to stand together and remain committed to supporting the victims, their families, and our entire community as we move forward together as one Highland Park."

On July 4, 2022, families gathered for the annual Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Robert Crimo III then carried out a planned attack. From a rooftop, he opened fire on the crowd below using a semi-automatic rifle.

Among the seven victims who lost their lives that day were:

• Katherine Goldstein, 64
• Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63
• Stephen Straus, 88
• Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78
• Eduardo Uvaldo, 69
• Kevin McCarthy, 37, and his wife Irina McCarthy, 35

More than 50 others were wounded, including an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed.

Authorities later revealed that Robert had disguised himself as a woman to flee. He tried to hide his face and neck tattoos, tried to escape the scene, and drove to Wisconsin, where he was eventually apprehended after a brief manhunt.

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