Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, the person of interest after a July 4 parade mass shooting who was taken into custody by police in Highland Park, Illinois, has now been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said during an afternoon press conference on Tuesday that dozens more charges against Crimo are expected to follow. Rinehart said his office will seek the maximum criminal penalty against the suspected gunman.
Additional charges are expected to include aggravated battery and charges around the shooting victims' physical and emotional well-being, Rinehart said.
Victims will be offered trauma counseling and other services, and victims include those experiencing emotional distress and not just those who were at the scene of the shooting. The counseling and trauma center will open up on Wed. July 6 according to Taskforce spokesman Christopher Covelli.
The gunman attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago and killed at least seven people. He was able to legally purchase two high-powered rifles and three other weapons. Authorities said police were called to his home twice in 2019 after Crimo threatened suicide and violence.
Police said he used a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15” to fire over 70 rounds while perched on top of a commercial building, aiming the firearm into a crowd watching a parade in Highland Park, a community described as affluent with a population of about 30,000, located on the shore of Lake Michigan.