25-04-2025
Robert Crimo III sentenced to life in prison. What to know about Highland Park shooter
Robert Crimo III was sentenced to life in prison on April 24 in connection with the 2022 Highland Park shooting that killed seven and wounded nearly 50 more.
Crimo, who did not attend the hearing, received seven life sentences without parole for each victim killed in the shooting.
Judge Victoria A. Rossetti told the court that Crimo showed a "complete disregard for human life' and is 'beyond rehabilitation," according to USA TODAY.
Here's what to know.
The shooter, Robert Crimo III, now 24, killed seven and injured dozens more at a July 4, 2022, parade in Highland Park, Illinois, before fleeing and reportedly disguising himself as a woman to escape. After a large-scale manhunt, authorities arrested Crimo while he was driving his mother's car.
Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli said Crimo legally purchased the high-powered AR-15-style rifle allegedly used in the attack, as well as a second rifle found in Crimo's vehicle.
While combing through social media accounts believed to be associated with Crimo, investigators uncovered posts allegedly indicating a presence of mental health issues, violence and far-right and neo-fascist ideologies, according to ABC News. These posts included videos depicting mass shootings and Crimo's own death and symbols resembling those associated with neo-Nazis.
Crimo, who is heavily tattooed on his face and body, published amateur music videos on YouTube under the rap stage name Awake the Rapper. One such video showed Crimo standing in a classroom in a bulletproof vest and helmet, in what appeared to be a depiction of the aftermath of a school shooting.
He was described by former classmates as odd and "very quiet," with little interest in school, and he reportedly dropped out of Highland Park High School after his freshman year at 16, according to CNN.
Story continues after photo gallery.
Crimo quickly ended his trial on March 3 by pleading guilty to all 69 murder and attempted murder counts shortly before opening statements commenced. The move surprised many, as Crimo had rejected a plea deal in June 2024.
Others are reading: Highland Park shooting suspect pleads guilty. What to know about Robert Crimo III
Illinois abolished the death penalty on July 1, 2011, making it the 16th state to do so, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Crimo received the maximum sentence offered in Illinois.
The shooter's father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty in November 2023 to seven counts of reckless conduct after he sponsored an application for his son to obtain a firearm owner ID card in 2019. This allowed his son, who was younger than 21 at the time, to apply for a gun license. Crimo Jr. was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 100 hours of community service.
Police reports show that officers were called at least a dozen times in six years to Crimo's home to settle domestic disputes and respond to intoxication allegations between the shooter's parents, CNN reported. Police also confiscated a collection of knives in 2019 from then-18-year-old Crimo, who had threatened to "kill everyone." The same year, an individual called the police a week after learning that Crimo had attempted suicide, according to Covelli.
Crimo's father also owned a deli, which struggled financially throughout many of Crimo's high school years before eventually closing in 2019. Court documents show that the store was buried in a mountain of debt.
Jeanine Santucci and Christopher Cann contributed to this article
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Who is Robert Crimo III? Highland Park shooter sentenced to life in prison
