The father of Robert Crimo III is in police custody after he was charged Thursday with multiple felonies for sponsoring his son’s gun permit before his son allegedly shot dozens, killing seven, in Highland Park.
The Highland Park Police Department arrested Robert Crimo Jr. on Friday.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed seven counts of reckless conduct causing great bodily harm.
Robert Crimo Jr. is the father of 22-year-old Robert Crimo III, who currently faces 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
Prosecutors and Highland Park police officers allege that Crimo Jr. was criminally reckless at the time that he helped his son obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.
Prosecutors said that helping his son obtain a FOID card was a contributing cause to the harm suffered by the murder victims in the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park.
Lake County Judge Paul Novak found probable cause for the charges and issued a warrant for Crimo Jr.’s arrest on Thursday.
Crimo Jr. remains held at the Highland Park Police Department and will appear for a bond hearing Saturday morning.
The man’s son, Crimo III, was under 21 when he sought to obtain the FOID card and required his father’s participation in the application process.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart held a press conference Friday afternoon and said that parents are in the best position to decide whether their teenager should have a weapon.
“They are the first line of defense. In this case, that system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son,” Rinehart said.
“He knew what he knew, and he signed the form anyway. This was criminally reckless and a contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the victims on July 4,” Rinehart said.
Reckless conduct is a Class 4 felony and Crimo Jr. can be sentenced to up to three years in prison, but he could also receive probation.
Federal and local investigators have been combing through “enormous amounts” of digital evidence since the night of July 4, the state’s attorney’s office said.
“Dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel have been working to analyze the digital evidence in this case. Our Cyber Lab personnel were critical partners on the team that helped us uncover the truth of the critical weeks before the FOID was issued,” Rinehart said.
Crimo III is scheduled to appear in court next on January 31 before Judge Victoria Rossetti.
His father’s case has been assigned to Judge James Booras.