Robert Crimo III, the man accused of killing seven people at a July Fourth parade in suburban Chicago last year fired his public defenders on Monday and said he plans to represent himself at trial, the Associated Press reports. Crimo is charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder, and 48 counts of aggravated battery for the shooting in Highland Park, Illinois that injured dozens, including children.
He affirmed his decision before a judge, who underscored the responsibilities he was undertaking and emphasized the gravity of the situation by highlighting the possibility of consecutive life sentences if found guilty by a jury. Crimo’s requested, and was granted, a faster path to trial, in February 2024 rather than February 2025 as his original defense team had discussed with prosecutors.
The case includes an enormous amount of records and other material, including about 10,000 pages of material the state’s attorney’s office has turned over to Crimo’s defense. Prosecutors have said Crimo admitted to the shooting when police arrested him following an hourslong search on July 4, 2022. Crimo confessed to police that he unleashed bullets from a rooftop in Highland Park and then fled to an area near Madison, Wisconsin, where he contemplated shooting up another parade before returning to Illinois, where he was arrested.