Father of Alleged Highland Park Shooter Arrested After Prosecutors File Felony Reckless Conduct Charges 

Prosecutors and Highland Park police officers allege that Robert Crimo Jr. was criminally reckless at the time that he helped his son procure a FOID card for his son and that helping his son obtain a FOID card was a contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the homicide victims in the mass shooting.  

The Honorable Judge Paul Novak found “probable cause” for the charges and issued a warrant for Crimo Jr.’s arrest on Thursday. The bond hearing will be conducted on Saturday morning.  

As an individual under the age of 21, Crimo III was unable to obtain a FOID card without his father’s participation in the application process.  

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated at a press conference this afternoon, “Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenager should have a weapon. They are the first line of defense. In this case, that system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son. He knew what he knew, and he signed the form anyway.  This was criminally reckless and a contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the victims on July 4th.” 

Reckless Conduct is a Class 4 Felony, for which Crimo Jr. can be sentenced for up to 3 years in prison. Reckless conduct counts are typically served concurrently with each other.  

Federal and local investigators have been combing through enormous amounts of digital evidence since the night of July 4, 2022. Rinehart praised law enforcement for their tireless work on the case. “Dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel have been working to analyze the digital evidence in this case. Our Cyber Lab personnel were critical partners on the team that helped us uncover the truth of the critical weeks before the FOID was issued.”  

Crimo III is currently facing 117 charges for killing seven people and wounding 48 people at the Highland Park Parade on July 4. Crimo III’s next court date is January 31, 2023, before the Honorable Judge Victoria Rossetti.  His father’s case has been assigned to the Honorable Judge James Booras.