Bond set at $50,000 for father of July 4 parade shooting suspect
Bond for the father of an Illinois man charged with killing seven people in a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in a Chicago suburb was set at $50,000 on Saturday, after prosecutors announced Friday he was charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct.
Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said Robert Crimo Jr. surrendered to police on Friday. Rinehart said the charges are based on Crimo sponsoring his then-19-year-old son's application for a gun license.
"Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenagers should have a weapon," Rinehart said. "In this case, the system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son. He knew what he knew and he signed the form anyway."
A grand jury in July indicted Robert "Bobby" Crimo III on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery, representing the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the attack on a beloved holiday event in Highland Park.
The elder Crimo's lawyer told the judge Saturday during a 10-minute video hearing that Crimo would be able to pay the required bond amount for his release. Among the conditions of his release, Lake County Judge Jacquelyn Melius told him, was that he turn in any gun licenses, as well as any weapons at his home.
The defense lawyer told the judge earlier that his client posed no threat to anyone, had no criminal record and had close ties to the community of Highland Park, where the mass shooting occurred over the summer. Prosecutors did not oppose Crimo's release on bond. Melius set his next hearing for Jan. 12.
Until Friday, the prosecutor had refused to discuss whether the man's parents could face charges connected to the killings. Illinois authorities have previously said Bob Crimo sponsored his son's application for a gun license in 2019.
In Illinois, 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds may only obtain a Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card with parental sponsorship, CBS Chicago reports.
Police also have said that Bob Crimo told authorities that knives found in the family's home belonged to him after another family member reported in September 2019 that the younger Crimo had threatened to "kill everyone" and had a collection of knives.
Legal experts have said it's rare for an accused shooter's parent or guardian to face charges — in part because it's difficult to prove such charges.
In one notable exception, a Michigan prosecutor last year filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of a teen accused of fatally shooting four students at his high school. A January trial date in that case has been delayed while the state appeals court considers an appeal by the parents.
Illinois State Police reported back in July that the suspect passed four background checks in 2020 and 2021, and in the process amassed five firearms. The first weapon was purchased after his father signed the authorization form, state police said.
Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen told CBS News in a July 6 interview that investigators believed the suspect had planned the shooting for several weeks.
"There was quite a bit of preplanning that went into it, and he was quite motivated to carry out the attack," Jogmen said at the time.