Man accused of Highland Park shooting confesses

Dozens of other charges could be brought against Robert Crimo over the course of the next few days.

Lake County Attorney General Eric Rinehart after a press conference on Wednesday, in Waukegan, Illinois.

The man accused of killing seven people Tuesday in Highland Park, north of Chicago, confessed to police that he opened fire on the crowd gathered in the heart of the city during the parade of American Independence Day, according to local authorities.

When questioned by Highland Park Police, Robert Crimo was told his rights and then gave details of what he had done, Lake County Attorney General Eric Rinehart said during a court hearing. a press conference given after a first appearance of the suspect. He admitted what he had done.

Based on the information obtained through the investigation so far, the judge concluded that the the evidence was such that he should remain detained, he continued, explaining that the penalty for the crimes with which he is charged is life in prison without the possibility of release. His preliminary hearing has been set for July 28.

Crimo did not enter a plea before the judge. He only spoke briefly to announce that he did not have a lawyer. A legal aid lawyer was subsequently assigned to him.

In court, Mr Rinehart's deputy, Ben Dillon, first revealed that Crimo had confessed. According to him, the investigators in the file found 83 casings and three magazines on the roof of the building where the killer was. According to him, the killing was committed with a Smith & Wesson.

Accompanying Mr. Rinehart, County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Covelli, for his part, claimed that Robert Crimo had considered carrying out a second shooting in Madison, in neighboring Wisconsin, where he fled in his mother's car.

It seems that while driving […] he saw that there was a party in Madison and he seriously considered using [a second] firearm he had in his vehicle to to do another shooting, he described, adding that it did not appear to have been planned beforehand.

Robert Crimo eventually turned around and returned to Illinois, where he was arrested Monday evening. He was formally charged Tuesday with seven murders, but dozens more charges will almost certainly be brought against him over the next few days, prosecutor Rinehart said.

Christopher Covelli reiterated on Wednesday that Robert Crimo purchased five different guns completely legally, despite being known to police. Officers had intervened twice with him because of behavior suggesting that he could be violent towards himself or others.

A first call reporting that Crimo could kill himself was made in April 2019, followed by a second call, in September 2019, reporting the young man's comments that he could kill everyone, in a reference to members of his family.

After this second call, officers seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword belonging to Robert Crimo, Christopher Covelli said, but officers did not have reasonable cause to detain him and therefore did not release him. not done. Crimo's father eventually said the knives belonged to him and they were returned.

At this time, however, Crimo did not own a gun or a gun license.

Under Illinois law, individuals may be prohibited from purchasing weapons if they have been convicted of a serious crime (< em>felony), if they are drug addicts or if they are considered likely to be violent towards themselves or others. This, however, must be determined by the appropriate authorities.

The state also has a red flag (warning) law that allows police to seize weapons from persons deemed dangerous . A request in this regard must however be presented to the authorities by family members, relatives, roommates of the person concerned or the police.

According to Christopher Covelli, no red flag was lifted when Crimo bought his guns.

With information from The Associated Press, and Reuters