Latest news with #VictoriaRossetti
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Editorial: May we hear no more from Highland Park gunman Robert Crimo III
'The court finds that the defendant is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation.' Anything unclear about that? The statement made Thursday by Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti about Robert Crimo III, the man convicted of killing seven people and wounding 48 others when he opened fire at the 2022 July Fourth parade in Highland Park, was as shocking as it was definitive. If ever there was a succinct and compelling justification for sending someone away for life in prison, Rossetti helpfully provided one. And then send this scourge away for the rest of his life, she did. Without any possibility of parole. We know neither the judge's statement nor this sentencing will in any way compensate the people of Highland Park for what happened that day, nor bring back their lost loved ones. We mourned with them in 2022 and we do so again today with full memory of how this nihilistic person turned a joyous day of traditional family celebration into one of horror and loss. We suspect that many of those who were at that 2022 parade have stared, as have we, at courtroom photos of Crimo and wondered how on earth he could have turned out this way, how this terrifying young man could have embraced such acts and then shown no remorse, how he could have retraumatized Highland Park by his confounding actions even as his case received his due process. He pleaded guilty, which was something, but otherwise made no effort to mitigate the unspeakable pain he caused. On the contrary, he seemed to relish its application. Crimo is, we suppose, an enigma who must remain so. Ideally, far from sight. We sincerely hope never to have to type his name again. But we look forward to writing plenty more about Highland Park, a prideful community that responded to this waking nightmare with resolve, compassion, strength and patience. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
25-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: May we hear no more from Highland Park gunman Robert Crimo III
'The court finds that the defendant is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation.' Anything unclear about that? The statement made Thursday by Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti about Robert Crimo III, the man convicted of killing seven people and wounding 48 others when he opened fire at the 2022 July Fourth parade in Highland Park, was as shocking as it was definitive. If ever there was a succinct and compelling justification for sending someone away for life in prison, Rossetti helpfully provided one. And then send this scourge away for the rest of his life, she did. Without any possibility of parole. We know neither the judge's statement nor this sentencing will in any way compensate the people of Highland Park for what happened that day, nor bring back their lost loved ones. We mourned with them in 2022 and we do so again today with full memory of how this nihilistic person turned a joyous day of traditional family celebration into one of horror and loss. We suspect that many of those who were at that 2022 parade have stared, as have we, at courtroom photos of Crimo and wondered how on earth he could have turned out this way, how this terrifying young man could have embraced such acts and then shown no remorse, how he could have retraumatized Highland Park by his confounding actions even as his case received his due process. He pleaded guilty, which was something, but otherwise made no effort to mitigate the unspeakable pain he caused. On the contrary, he seemed to relish its application. Crimo is, we suppose, an enigma who must remain so. Ideally, far from sight. We sincerely hope never to have to type his name again. But we look forward to writing plenty more about Highland Park, a prideful community that responded to this waking nightmare with resolve, compassion, strength and patience.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Illinois Fourth of July Parade Shooter Sentenced To Life 7 Times
The gunman who opened fire during a 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, in a mass shooting that killed seven was sentenced Thursday to seven consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. 'The court finds he's irrevocably depraved,' Judge Victoria Rossetti said during the sentencing, according to NBC News. 'He is beyond any rehabilitation.' Robert Crimo III, who was not present during Thursday's sentencing, pleaded guilty last month to 21 counts of murder, three for each of the seven people who died, and 48 counts of attempted murder. After evidence was presented, victims read their impact statements. 'You took my mom,' said Leah Sundheim, the child of Jacquelyn Sundheim, according to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. 'I will never be able to summarize how simply extraordinary she was, and how devastating and out of balance my life is without her.' Keely Roberts' son Cooper Roberts was 8 when he was shot in the back during the mass shooting and became paralyzed from the waist down. Keely Roberts called the shooter 'cowardly' for not attending the sentencing. 'You will not get my sad stories,' she said. 'You have no power over my life.' Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a news conference Thursday that the sentencing was about the victims, survivors and the Highland Park community. 'The amount of trauma and pain that they have gone through in this case is something that is hard to describe,' Rinehart said. He continued, saying the shooter has 'never shown one bit of remorse.' 'It was clear he was unable to confront what he had done,' Rinehart said about the shooter not showing up for his sentencing. Nancy Rotering, the mayor of Highland Park, Illinois, said at the news conference that the sentencing is another call to action for lawmakers to 'take decisive action to prevent future tragedies.' 'No community should ever have to endure this kind of devastation,' Rotering said. On July 4, 2022, the shooter opened fire with a rifle from a nearby rooftop during Highland Park's annual Fourth of July parade. The mass shooting killed seven people and injured 48 more and the shooter was arrested about eight hours after the shooting began. Victims of the shooting ranged in ages 8 to 88. The shooter's father was also charged in connection to the shooting. Robert Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty in November 2023 to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct for helping his then-teenage son get a firearms license to buy guns. He served 60 days in prison and is still on two years of probation. The shooting resulted in lawsuits, including one from the victims who sued Smith and Wesson, the manufacturer of the rifle used in the shooting, for allegedly targeting its ads to young men who might commit mass violence. The case is ongoing. California Judge Found Guilty Of Shooting Wife While Watching 'Breaking Bad' A Parkland And FSU Mass Shooting Survivor: 'This Is America' Parkland Victim's Dad Shares Gut-Wrenching Discovery After Florida State Shooting
CNN
24-04-2025
- CNN
Gunman in 2022 mass shooting at suburban Chicago July Fourth parade sentenced to life in prison
The suburban Chicago man who admitted to fatally shooting seven people and wounding dozens of others during a 2022 Independence Day parade was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti handed down seven consecutive sentences of natural life in prison without the possibility of parole, as prosecutors requested, for the first-degree murder charges after hearing emotional testimony from survivors and the relatives of those killed in the shooting. After years of unpredictable legal proceedings, Robert E. Crimo III, 24, changed his plea to guilty last month just moments before opening statements at his trial. Dozens were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 30 miles north of Chicago. They ranged in age from their 80s to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed. Crimo refused to attend his sentencing hearing Wednesday or Thursday despite a judge's previous warnings that the case would proceed without him. Crimo also declined to provide a written statement in court ahead of sentencing. Survivors and witnesses told the court about how their lives have changed since he killed seven people and hurt dozens more. Keely Roberts, whose 8-year-old son Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down, called Crimo 'cowardly' for not attending. 'You will not hear my grief,' she said. 'You are now irrelevant.' It's unusual for defendants to skip trial, especially sentencing, but constitutionally they have the right not to attend, said David Erickson, a former state appellate judge who teaches at Chicago Kent College of Law. Often in violent cases, defendants will explain themselves or profess innocence before sentencing. 'Certainly in crimes of violence it's not unusual for a defendant to show some remorse,' Erickson said. Some survivors called Crimo a 'monster' while another cited their faith in forgiving him. Many described feeling empty or facing deep sadness since the shooting. Some no longer attend public gatherings. Erica Weeder described how she and her husband were injured and helpless on the ground, watching others bleed out. Weeder went through weeks of medical care to remove shrapnel from her body while her husband was shot in the elbow, the bullet lodged there for weeks. 'A mass shooting is like a bomb blast throughout a community,' she said. Prosecutors argued that Crimo was fully in control of his actions as he fired 83 shots over 40 seconds. 'This was his evil plan. He intended to end the happiness that he saw around him,' said Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart. Crimo pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — and 48 counts of attempted murder. Each first-degree murder count carries a maximum life sentence in Illinois. But even in his absence, prosecutors made sure Crimo's own were heard. They used the first day of the hearing to reveal parts of the trove of evidence prepared for trial, including key parts of Crimo's videotaped confession. In a recording of the police interview, which defense attorneys tried to have thrown out, a blank-faced Crimo slumped in a chair with arms crossed. He told officers that he briefly reconsidered the attack because of a problem with the gun. He later fixed the weapon. 'I walked up the stairs, jumped on the roof and opened fire,' he said. Crimo was calm and cavalier, even laughing and joking, said Brian Bodden, a Highland Park police officer. Prosecutors recreated the horror of the day in the upscale community of about 30,000 people north of Chicago, showing video taken along the parade route and asking witnesses to recount the terrifying aftermath of the attack. In one video, a marching band played 'You're a Grand Old Flag' before shots were fired. Musicians carrying instruments ran as emergency sirens blared, fleeing along with other attendees. Many cried during the testimony, while others put their arms around each other inside the Lake County courtroom. The seven people killed were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr., a former mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct. He served less than two months in jail. This story has been updated with additional information.
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Independence Day parade shooter who killed seven sentenced to life in prison
The suburban Chicago man who admitted to fatally shooting seven people and wounding dozens of others during a 2022 Independence Day parade was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Lake county judge Victoria Rossetti handed down seven consecutive sentences of life in prison, as prosecutors requested, for the first-degree murder charges after hearing emotional testimony from survivors and the relatives of those killed in the shooting. She also sentenced Robert E Crimo III, 24, to 50 years on each of the 48 counts of attempted murder to be served consecutively to the seven life sentences. 'This court has absolutely no words that could adequately describe and capture the horror and pain that was inflicted on July 4th,' the judge said. Crimo'has a complete disregard for human life' and 'is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation', she said. The case has moved slowly, in part because Crimo backed out of a plea deal, fired his public defenders and reversed his decision to represent himself. He signed his name and Donald Trump's when he waived his right to trial. He also changed his plea to guilty last month just moments before opening statements at his trial. Dozens were wounded in the shooting in the suburb north of Chicago. They ranged in age from their 80s to an eight-year-old boy, who was left paralyzed from the waist down. Survivors and witnesses told the court about how their lives have changed since he killed seven people and hurt dozens more. Keely Roberts, whose eight-year-old son Cooper Roberts was the youngest victim, called Crimo 'cowardly' for not attending Wednesday's hearing. 'You will not hear my grief,' she said. 'You are now irrelevant.' Some survivors called Crimo a 'monster' while another cited their faith in forgiving him. Many described feeling empty or facing deep sadness since the shooting. Some no longer attend public gatherings. Erica Weeder described how she and her husband were injured and helpless on the ground, watching others bleed out. For weeks, there was shrapnel in her body and a bullet lodged in her husband's elbow. 'A mass shooting is like a bomb blast throughout a community,' she said. Prosecutors argued that Crimo was fully in control of his actions as he fired 83 shots over 40 seconds. 'This was his evil plan. He intended to end the happiness that he saw around him,' said the Lake County state's attorney, Eric Rinehart. Prosecutors on Wednesday revealed parts of the trove of evidence prepared for trial, including key parts of Crimo's videotaped confession. In the interview, which defense attorneys tried to have thrown out, a blank-faced Crimo slumped in a chair with arms crossed. He told officers that he briefly reconsidered the attack because of a problem with the gun. He later fixed the weapon. 'I walked up the stairs, jumped on the roof and opened fire,' he said. Crimo was calm and cavalier, even laughing and joking, said Brian Bodden, a Highland Park police officer. The seven people killed were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and the married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr, a former mayoral candidate, served less than two months in jail on charges in connection with how his son obtained a gun license.
