Highland Park shooter Robert Crimo III sentenced to life in prison without parole
Robert Crimo III, the gunman who killed seven people and injured dozens in a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday.
Crimo was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences along with 50 years in prison for each person injured, Judge Victoria A. Rossetti announced on Thursday.
"This court hopes this sentence brings a sense of justice and an end to the continued horror," Rossetti said.
The sentencing hearing, which began Wednesday and finished Thursday morning, included testimony from multiple survivors and relatives of those killed in the shooting at the Independence Day parade.
Crimo, 24, decided to not appear in court on Wednesday or Thursday. The shooter's parents, who have attended most court proceedings, were also not present.
In regard to Crimo's absence, Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said "it is clear that he was unable to confront what he had done."
"Seven people lost their lives, but this community kept going," Rinehart said during a press conference held after the sentencing. "There has always been strength in this community and from this group of victims and survivors, and that stands in such contrast to what the offender did."
Liz Turnipseed, a survivor of the shooting, said the sentencing "closes a chapter" on that part of her family's lives.
"I don't have to think about him anymore, I don't have to worry about him anymore," Turnipseed said during the press conference.
Survivors and family members, who had expected to address Crimo directly at the sentencing hearing, shared the impact Crimo's attack had on their lives.
Leah Sundheim, daughter of victim Jacqueline Sundheim, said Crimo "threw the balance of this world off" by killing her mother.
"I hope you wake in the middle of the night, gasping air you don't deserve," Sundheim said in court on Wednesday.
Sundheim also read a statement on behalf of her father, Bruce Sundheim, who said their family's lives have been destroyed by Crimo's "violent tantrum."
Marcia Moran, whose husband was shot by Crimo, said she has been in therapy for over two years due to the emotional trauma. Her family has since moved out of Highland Park and is now living in Tennessee.
"The shooter doesn't get to take anything more from me," Moran said in court via Zoom.
In March, Crimo pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each person killed, and dozens of attempted murder charges.
Survivor Ashbey Beasley, who fled the parade with her son when the gunfire broke out, said in March the plea brought an "immense amount of relief."
"Every single time I see [Crimo], it's stressful," she told reporters back in March. "I think it's upsetting for everyone…Just knowing that his plea has been entered and we will not have to see him again is what we all need."
Crimo appeared ready to accept a guilty plea last June during a hearing, only to reject the deal in front of devastated members of the victims' families. He was expected to plead guilty to seven counts of murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm at the hearing at the time, according to the AP.
"We have Fourth of July coming up and it will be two years," Sundheim said at a news conference at the time. "All I wanted was to be able to fully grieve my mom without the looming trial, knowing that he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail. And instead, we were yet again shown [Crimo's] complete and blatant disregard for humans."
Crimo told police he wore women's clothing during the shooting and used makeup to hide his facial tattoos and blend in with the crowd during the chaos, prosecutors said. Crimo was apprehended hours later and prosecutors said he confessed to the shooting.
Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty last year to reckless conduct, admitting to signing the Firearm Owner's Identification card for his son to apply for gun ownership two years before the shooting. As a part of the plea deal, Crimo Jr. was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation.
The younger Crimo was 19 at the time he got the card and too young to get a FOID card on his own. Illinois at the time required people ages 18, 19 or 20 to have parent or guardian authorization.
