Father of Highland Park parade shooting suspect charged with reckless conduct - NBC News

The begetter of the Highland Park, Illinois, parade shooting fishy has been charged successful transportation with helping his lad get a firearm and ammunition, officials announced Friday.

Robert E. Crimo Jr. was charged with 7 counts of reckless conduct, 1 for each idiosyncratic killed successful the July Fourth parade attack, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.

Prosecutors said Crimo Jr. helped his son, Robert E. Crimo III, purchase the AR-15-style weapon utilized successful the shooting by sponsoring his son’s Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) application.

The shooting fishy was 21 astatine the clip of the onslaught but 19 erstwhile helium bought the semiautomatic firearm and ammunition, they said. Authorities person said helium sponsored the exertion contempt erstwhile threats by his lad to harm himself and loved ones.

Under state law, weapon purchasers 18 to 20 mostly indispensable person a genitor endorse the buy, prosecutors said.

"He knew what helium knew, and helium signed the signifier anyway," Rinehart said astatine a quality league Friday. "This was criminally reckless."

Robert E. Crimo Jr. during a proceeding for his lad successful Waukegan, Ill. connected Aug. 3, 2022.Nam Y. Huh / AP

An lawyer for Crimo Jr., George M. Gomez, said successful a connection that the charges are baseless.

"This determination should alarm each azygous genitor successful the United States of America who according to the Lake County State’s Attorney knows precisely what is going connected with their 19 twelvemonth aged big children and tin beryllium held criminally liable for actions taken astir 3 years later," Gomez said. "These charges are absurd and we volition combat them each measurement of the way." 

Crimo Jr. turned himself successful to Highland Park constabulary Friday afternoon. Following a proceeding Saturday, helium was released connected a $50,000 currency bond. He indispensable abide by a curfew, surrender each firearms arsenic good arsenic his FOID card, and cannot acquisition caller weapons.

The elder Crimo antecedently spoke to the New York Post regarding his son's purchase.

"He bought everything connected his own, and they’re registered to him," the begetter said. "They marque maine similar I groomed him to bash each this."

Crimo Jr. faces up to a three-year condemnation if convicted.

Authorities allege the shooting fishy climbed to the apical of a Highland Park building, utilized that elevated spot arsenic a sniper’s nest, and opened occurrence connected radical attending the town’s July Fourth parade.

Along with the 7 killed, a twelve much radical were injured.

Under the acquisition affidavit signed by the father, Crimo Jr. agreed to beryllium “liable for immoderate damages resulting from the insignificant applicant’s usage of firearms oregon firearm ammunition," authorities person noted.

Crimo Jr. is simply a erstwhile Highland Park mayoral campaigner who has voiced enactment for Second Amendment protections.

He co-signed that FOID exertion successful December 2019, 3 months aft constabulary visited the family’s home. A comparative reported that Crimo had threatened to termination household members, Illinois State Police person said.

A expansive assemblage indicted the shooting fishy successful July on 117 charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted execution and 48 counts of aggravated battery. He has pleaded not blameworthy to the charges.