Robert Crimo III is expected to appear in court Tuesday for the first time since being indicted on over 100 charges for allegedly shooting dozens of people, killing seven of them, during the Highland Park Fourth of July parade.
Crimo, 22, of Highwood, is charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each victim.
The seven slain victims include Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park; Irina McCarthy, 35, of Highland Park; Kevin McCarthy, 37, of Highland Park; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63, of Highland Park; Stephen Straus, 88, of Highland Park; and Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, of Morelos, Mexico; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.
Crimo is additionally charged with 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for each victim who was struck by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors presented their case to a Lake County grand jury in late July and the jury returned the 117-count indictment.
Crimo has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart previously said that the first-degree murder charges will lead to a mandatory life sentence should Crimo be convicted.
Crimo, who is being held in the Lake County Jail, is scheduled to appear in court at 11 a.m. Tuesday for a case management conference.
The hearing is a pre-trial status hearing and will take place in front of Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti.
In July, during a bond hearing, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Dillon said that the ATF conducted an e-trace of the rifle used in the shooting to track it to Crimo.
Law enforcement officers familiar with Crimo identified him after reviewing surveillance video.
Crimo confessed to the shooting during an interview at the Highland Park Police Department and admitted to dressing up as a woman to disguise himself, Dillon said.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said that Crimo pre-planned the attack for several weeks.
Covelli said that Crimo used a fire escape ladder to access the roof of a building on the parade route.
Crimo admitted to “looking down his sights” of his Smith & Wesson M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle before opening fire on the crowd on July 4 near Second Street and Central Avenue in Highland Park.
Crimo said he fired two full 30-round magazines before loading a third 30-round magazine and firing, Dillon said.
83 spent shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Crimo, who was dressed as a woman, exited the roof, dropped the rifle and escaped with the fleeing crowd, according to Covelli.
Crimo identified himself on surveillance video and the weapon used, Dillon said.
Crimo remains held in the Lake County Jail without the possibility of being released on bond after a judge approved prosecutors’ request to detain him.