Father whose son is accused in parade shootings pleads guilty to misdemeanor charges

Robert Crimo Jr., the father of the man accused of killing seven people during a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, pleaded guilty Monday to seven counts of reckless endangerment for helping his son obtain a permit to possess firearms before the shootings.

The guilty pleas were announced in a Lake County, Illinois, courtroom just before the elder Mr. Crimo’s trial was expected to begin.

Eric F. Rinehart, the top prosecutor in Lake County, said the deal was reached Sunday after last-minute discussions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Crimo will serve 60 days in jail, two years of probation and 100 hours of public service, prosecutors said. Mr Crimo declined to comment immediately after leaving the courtroom.

The elder Mr. Crimo, prosecutors said, ignored clear signs that his son, Robert Crimo III, was capable of violence: In 2019, months before obtaining the state gun permit, a family member contacted authorities and reported that the younger Mr. Crimo. Crimo had threatened to “kill everyone.” Police officers removed sixteen knives, a dagger and a sword from the house, but decided there was no probable cause to arrest him at that time.

Robert Crimo III later purchased several weapons, including a high-powered rifle. On July 4, 2022, he climbed onto the roof of a building in downtown Highland Park, Illinois, and opened fire on the parade crowd, killing seven people and wounding many others, prosecutors say. He was 21 at the time and is still in jail awaiting a trial date.