Robert E. (“Bobby”) Crimo III appears in a mugshot released July 6, 2022, by the Highland Park Police Department in Illinois.
Illinois authorities on Wednesday released two jailhouse mugshots of the man accused of murdering seven people and injuring dozens more during an Independence Day parade in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Highland Park.
As Law&Crime reported on Tuesday, 21-year-old Robert E. (“Bobby”) Crimo III currently stands accused of seven charges of murder in the first degree over the July 4, 2022 massacre that was perpetrated with the use of a so-called assault weapon on the roof of a building along the parade route.
Proceedings on Wednesday in Lake County, Ill. got off to a slow start as the participants in Crimo’s bond hearing waited for private attorney Tom Durkin to enter an initial appearance and make his way into the Zoom hearing.
“It’s not fair to my client, just sitting around doing nothing,” Public Defender Gregory Ticsay groused.
The court got on with its business soon thereafter.
Robert (Bobby) E. Crimo III and his car appear in images released by the FBI.
“Gunshots were heard and numerous people along the parade route were shot,” Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Dillon said after the lengthy wait. The state’s attorney then ran through a list of victims before providing an overview of the state’s evidence against Crimo.
The prosecutor said numerous surveillance videos — including cellphone videos — captured the defendant on the day in question. One such video, Dillon said, showed that Crimo used an “outside fire escape staircase” to gain access to the building where he eventually set up, aimed, and rained gunfire on the unsuspecting patriotic crowd.
After the onslaught, Dillon continued, the defendant went back down the stairs and “ran back to where he came.” As he ran, the prosecutor alleged, “a wrapped object fell out of the black bag” the defendant was carrying in an alleyway. That wrapped object, police would note, was a Smith & Wesson M&P-15 semi-automatic rifle, with a serial number that an investigation showed was purchased legally and “bought locally in 2020.”
Police said Crimo was “wearing what appeared to be women’s clothing” as he fled and, hours later, was taken into custody after a traffic stop. Once in custody, Dillon alleged, the defendant “provided a voluntary statement to investigators admitting to his actions.”
The prosecutor said Crimo told police he “dressed up like a girl and used makeup to cover-up his tattoos because people recognized him.” The defendant allegedly said he fired one full 30-round magazine, dropped it, and replaced it, fired another 30 rounds, dropped the second magazine, and replaced it again. At the scene, Dillon said, police recovered a total of 83 “bent shell casings.”
First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images.)
According to NBC News, Crimo also told police he considered making his way to a second celebration in Madison, Wisconsin, in order to engage in another round of violence because he realized he had an additional 60 rounds. In the end, however, he decided against it.
“The state has filed a petition for no bail,” Dillon said – arguing that the severity of the crimes mandated nothing but immediate and ongoing incarceration.
As the court considered the evidence, Durkin finally gained access to the hearing, apologized for his self-admitted incompetence with technology, and then noted that he was hired by the Crimo family. However, he said he later learned of a conflict of interest and expressed as much to the defendant.
“He will need a public defender,” the erstwhile attorney said before bowing out.
Ticsay quickly settled into the role of defense counsel, arguing that a no-bail determination was not, in fact, mandatory, but said it was beside the point since the defense was not asking for bail and his client didn’t have money for bail anyway.
“He does pose a specific and present threat to the community, therefore he will be held without bond,” the judge said.
No plea was entered; the hearing was solely about bond. Crimo’s next court appearance is currently slated for the July 28, 2022.
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