The country is mourning after a gunman opened fire during an independence parade, killing seven and injuring many more.
Robert Crimo Jr., the father of suspect Rober Crimo III, told the New York Post that he hopes his son will serve a long sentence.
“I want a long sentence,” he said. “That’s life. You know you have consequences for actions. He made a choice. He didn’t have to do that.”
According to Lake County District Attorney Eric Rinehart, Crimo is charged with murder and those he injured.
“It’s vital to the healing of this community that every single victim receives justice,” said Rinehart.
Second planned attack, police say
It was revealed that after the Highland Park incident, Crimo traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, and contemplated a gunfight before deciding not to go. Highland Park residents paid tribute in the following days, and hundreds of people gathered for a candlelit vigil Wednesday night, carrying orange ribbons to signal gun violence awareness. While a gun was recovered near the crime scene, Crimo had an extra gun with 60 rounds in the car.
The FBI alerted the Madison Police Department on Monday afternoon, warning that Crimo was on the loose and could be in the area.
After Crimo’s arrest, officials said he went into detail about what he had done and admitted to his crimes in voluntary statements during interrogation.
First encounters with the police
Information has emerged showing that Crimo was able to purchase firearms in Illinois, despite two meetings with police in 2019. In April 2019, police received a complaint that Crimo had attempted suicide. They talked about him with him and his family and left the matter to mental health professionals.
Later, in September 2019, Crimo allegedly threatened family members and said he would “kill everyone.” The police seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from his collection.
The knives were just a collection, Crimo said. They were returned the same day. Since then, Crimo had legally purchased five firearms, including shotguns, pistols and possibly a shotgun, with a license granted to him by his father when he was 19. Crimo passed four background checks for its purchase.
