(Ken Silva, Headline USA) As conservative media was focused over the Nashville trans shooter’s politically charged manifesto released Monday, prosecutors in Illinois were railroading the father of the alleged July 4, 2022, mass shooter in a case with grave implications for the right to bear arms.
Robert Crimo Jr.—the father of alleged Highland Park shooter Robert Crimo III—was set to go to trial Monday, but accepted a last minute plea deal. Crimo Jr. had been charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct for sponsoring his son’s gun license application in 2019. He pleaded down to misdemeanors and will reportedly receive 60 days in jail, two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
The case against Crimo Jr. appeared to be dubious on its face—as documented by online personality and pro-gun researcher “BX,” who covered Crimo Jr.’s legal proceedings.
Indeed, Crimo Jr.’s only “crime” was cosigning his then-19-year-old son’s firearms license application nearly three years before the son allegedly went on his July 4 rampage, BX noted. Prosecutors had reportedly planned on using witnesses who spotted “warning signs” with Crimo III when he was still a child—but those witnesses would have been relying on their memories of events that happened nearly a decade ago.
For example, one of the state’s witnesses was a Christian camp worker who purportedly spotted warning signs with Crimo III, which was when Bobby was only 15 years old, according to BX.
However, state prosecutors employed some dirty tactics to get Crimo Jr. to take the plea deal.
According to BX, prosecutors subpoenaed a Crimo family member to testify against the father last weekend, right before his trial was set to begin. Prosecutors had already subpoenaed Crimo III’s younger brother.
BREAKING: Lake County Prosecutor Eric Rinehart refused to comment after George Gomez, lawyer of the alleged Highland Park shooter's father, said the State tried to "pit family members against each other" and that the defendant agreed to a plea deal to "protect his family". pic.twitter.com/NfCgAXCM6a
— Bx (@bx_on_x) November 6, 2023
“The state’s strategy required pitting Mr. Crimo’s family against each other,” said Crimo Jr.’s attorney, George Gomez. “Mr. Crimo ultimately did not want his family to be more torn apart on the public stage than it already has.”
Crimo III has yet to go to trial. He is accused of killing seven people and wounding 48 others.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
