A grand jury Wednesday indicted the suspect of the July 4th parade shooting in Chicago that killed seven people and wounded dozens more. He was indicted on 117 counts, including 21 counts of first-degree murder. Robert Crimo, 21, was accused of firing from a rooftop on a crowd of paradegoers in Highland Park during the Independence Day celebration. He will appear in court on August 3 and faces life in prison if convicted.
Crimo admitted to the shooting when police arrested him, according to prosecutors. Police found in his car a weapon similar to the Smith & Wesson semiautomatic rifle that was found at the shooting scene.
Outside of the first-degree murder charges, Crimo also faces 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. These counts represent each victim who was struck by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel. After the shooting in Highland Park, the suspect drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where investigators believe he considered a second mass shooting before deciding against it.
“I want to thank law enforcement and the prosecutors who presented evidence to the grand jury today,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement. “Our investigation continues, and our victim specialists are working around the clock to support all those affected by this crime that led to 117 felony counts being filed.”
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s office, Crimo obtained the weapons legally, having been approved to purchase five guns despite a history of frequent police calls and visits involving threats to kill himself and others.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.