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Highland Park shooting: Gunman sentenced to life in prison | Highland Park shooting: Gunman sentenced to life in prison |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The gunman who killed seven people at a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. | The gunman who killed seven people at a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. |
Robert Crimo III, 23, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges in March. After listening to witness testimony over two days, Judge Victoria Rossetti gave him seven back-to-back life sentences for each murder victim plus 50 years for attempted murder. | |
Crimo opened fire on crowds celebrating at a the Fourth of July in Highland Park, a city 30 miles (50 kilometres) north of Chicago. | |
The victims of the shooting ranged from an eight-year-old boy, paralysed from the waist down, to a young couple and an 88-year-old-man who were killed. | |
The gunman "has a complete disregard for human life" and "is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation," the judge said before handing down the maximum sentence. | |
On Wednesday, survivors of the mass shooting told their stories in emotional testimony. Though Crimo decided not to appear in court, many witnesses addressed him directly, calling him "cowardly" and a "monster". | |
The day of the shooting was captured on video as parade performers and attendees scrambled for safety. | |
Crimo fled the scene, leaving his semiautomatic rifle behind. | |
After a manhunt, authorities apprehended him in the neighbouring state of Wisconsin the same day. | After a manhunt, authorities apprehended him in the neighbouring state of Wisconsin the same day. |
Those killed in the shooting were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. | Those killed in the shooting were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. |
More than 40 others were injured. | More than 40 others were injured. |
After the sentencing, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering spoke about the symbolism of the attack happening on the Fourth of July holiday. | |
"Our peer nations can't understand how we put up with this and I recognize that we as a community, we're coming together to celebrate freedom," Rotering said according to NBC News. | |
"But how free are you if you're constantly worried that somebody's going to come leave 83 bullets on your community in under a minute? That's not freedom." | |
Crimo initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but changed his plea in March. | Crimo initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but changed his plea in March. |
His father, Robert Crimo Jr., was convicted in 2023 after pleading guilty to misdemeanour counts of reckless conduct for helping his son acquire a firearms ownership identification card. He served about one month in a county jail, winning early release from his 60-day sentence with good behaviour. | His father, Robert Crimo Jr., was convicted in 2023 after pleading guilty to misdemeanour counts of reckless conduct for helping his son acquire a firearms ownership identification card. He served about one month in a county jail, winning early release from his 60-day sentence with good behaviour. |
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