Lake County prosecutors announced Friday they have charged Robert Crimo Jr., father of alleged Highland Park parade shooter Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, with felony reckless conduct for sponsoring his son’s firearm owner’s identification card.
Crimo Jr. faces one count one for each person killed in the July 4 attack. Felony reckless conduct has maximum penalty of three years in prison, but probation is also an option.
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Crimo Jr.’s attorney, George Gomez, said over the summer that when Crimo Jr. sponsored the FOID card, he wasn’t aware that his son was a danger to anyone.
Gomez could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
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Police reports show officers were called to the Crimo home nine times between 2010 and 2014 in response to domestic altercations involving the parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina. Records showed neither had been charged with domestic violence in Lake County.
In 2019, Highland Park police reports stated officers were called to domestic cases involving the family, and were told Crimo III had tried to kill himself with a machete and threatened to kill “everyone.”
Crimo III denied it, and no charges were filed.
Local police reported Crimo III to Illinois State Police as a “clear and present danger,” but state police approved his application for a FOID card, with his father’s sponsorship, in December 2019.
The request was not retained in state police records, per the rules at the time. Meanwhile, there was no record that anyone — family or police — filed a firearms restraining order, or FRO, related to Crimo, something that would have allowed a judge to bar him from purchasing firearms, again, based on evidence that he was posed a threat to himself or others.
State police officials last month announced changes to both clear and present danger and FRO. Officials said they had developed a new FRO policy that includes specific guidance for law enforcement on how to use the laws. In addition, clear and present danger requests will now be retained for longer periods of time.
Crimo Jr. told ABC News he was shocked and felt “horrible” about the shooting, but had “no regret” over helping his son get access to guns.
