CHICAGO (AP) 鈥 A man accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens more at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago in 2022 will return to court next week for a possible change in his plea of not guilty, a prosecutor said Friday.
Robert Crimo III was scheduled to face trial including murder and attempted murder, for the The hearing set for Wednesday is a little more than a week ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attack.
鈥淭he case will be up on June 26 for a possible change of plea. We have been updating and supporting the victims as the situation has been developing," Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
A message seeking comment from the public defender's office, which is defending Crimo, wasn't immediately returned.
An attorney representing three family members wounded while attending the parade said prosecutors told them this week that Crimo is expected to change at least part of his earlier not guilty plea to guilty on Wednesday.
Mike Bonamarte, a managing partner with Levin & Perconti, represents Zoe and Stephen Kolpack, a married couple, and her father, Mike Joyce, in a civil suit against Crimo, his father and gun manufacturers and sellers.
Bonamarte said the Kolpacks' main question is whether a change of plea will mean a life sentence.
鈥淲hat Zoe said to me is she鈥檒l feel better if she believes this is a step closer to some justice,鈥 Bonamarte said. 鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛 change the fact she鈥檚 going to deal with what happened for the rest of her life.鈥
Authorities have said Crimo, 23, confessed to police in the days after he opened fire from a rooftop in Highland Park, terrifying parade participants and spectators.
The case has moved slowly as attorneys reviewed reams of evidence including video footage.
In December, Crimo insisted to Judge Victoria Rossetti that he wanted to and represent himself. He weeks later.
Crimo would face a mandatory sentence of life without parole if convicted of first-degree murder.
Separately, his father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty last year to
In 2019, at age 19, Crimo III was too young to seek his own gun license, but he could apply with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative reported to police that Crimo III had a collection of knives and had threatened to 鈥渒ill everyone.鈥
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White reported from Detroit.
