The man advocates himself guilty of murder and attempted murder in shoots at the Chicago suburb of July 4 parade

The man accused of killing seven people and injured tens more at a parade of Independence Day in a suburb of Chicago, was guilty of murder and attempted murder, just a few moments before opening arguments in his trial.

Pressing in a courtroom in the county circuit in Lake, Robert E. Crimo III, 23, withdrew his previous plea, which was no longer in the Highland Park shooting. The trial started on February 24 with the selection of the jury.

The prosecutors initially accused him of 21 charges of murder of the first grade accusations for each person killed-as well as 48 charges of attempted murder. Prosecutors gave up 48 less serious than 48 of the battery aggravated before the jury selection last week.

On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges for Crimo and asked questions to be sure that he understood before any open plea was read to the court. He was standing next to his lawyers, wearing a dark suit.

The conviction will come on April 23, but Crimo is sure he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each first degree murder number has a prison sentence in natural life.

Crimo did not continue to approach the court and did not ask questions before leaving the courtroom.

The process that started on February 24 was expected to last about a month with testimony from survivors and police. The prosecutors turned into thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of interrogation registered during which the police say that Crimo confessed the shot.

Dozens of people were injured in the suburb shootings about 30 kilometers (50 kilometers) north of Chicago. The wounded included the age of 80 to an 8 -year -old boy, who was left partially paralyzed.

Witnesses described the confusion as the shootings began, followed by panic while the families fled the parade route in the city center, leaving behind the lawn seats and strollers to find safety in the nearby businesses or houses.

The criminal case continued slowly for months, partially due to the unpredictable behavior of Crimo. In June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea agreement and give the victims and relatives the chance to publicly approach it, Crimo presented to court in a wheelchair and rejected his agreement, surprising even his lawyers.

He also fired the public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then it suddenly reversed.

The trial came almost two years from the case of his father, focusing on how Crimo obtained a weapon license.

In 2019, at 19, Crimo was allowed to request only a weapon license with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative reported to the police that his son had a collection of knives and threatened to “kill everyone.”

Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., was guilty in 2023 for seven offenses of reckless conduct.

The leaders of the city canceled the annual parade in 2023, but reinstalled it the following year with a memory ceremony for those killed.

The shot at the shooting were: Katherine Goldstein, 64 years old; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63 years old; Stephen Straus, 88 years old; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69 years old; And he married the Kevin McCarthy couple, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.

This is a news update. The previous story of AP follows below.

Waukegan, Ill (AP) – the trial of a Chicago suburban man accused of a mass shoot at a parade of Independence Day in 2022, who killed seven people and hurt other tens will start on Monday.

Robert Crimo III are facing 21 1st degree charges, three accusations for each person killed, as well as 48 charges of attempted murder. Prosecutors gave up 48 less serious than 48 of the battery aggravated before the jury selection last week.

The road to the trial was distorted, with partially delays due to the unpredictability of the crimo, including the rejection of a pleading agreement that even surprised its lawyers. As the potential jurors were questioned last week, he appeared sporadically in court, sometimes refusing to leave his prison cell.

The authorities assumed that Crimo was on a roof and fired in crowds for the annual parade from July 4 in the center of Highland Park, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Chicago.

The prosecutors filed thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of interrogation registered during which the police say that Crimo confessed the shot. But since then, the 24 -year -old has pleaded guilty.

His defense lawyers refused comments before the trial, which is expected to last about a month.

His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a candidate for the mayor, was accused of how his son obtained a weapon permit. He pleaded guilty in 2023 for seven charges of reckless conduct and served less than two months in prison.

He participated in the hearings of his son, sometimes making visual contact with him during the court. He refused to discuss in detail the case before the trial.

“As a parent, I love my son very much,” he said. “And Bobby loves this country more than anyone would ever know.”

Prosecutors intend to call several law officers and survivors of shooting to testify. They will also show videos about Crimo’s statements to the police. Some of the videos have already been displayed in court, as prosecutors have tried unsuccessfully to throw them away.

Crimo’s irregular behavior has contributed to the court delays.

He fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself, then he suddenly reversed. In June 2024, when it was expected to accept a plea agreement and to offer the victims and relatives the chance to approach it publicly, he reached a court chair and rejected the agreement.

The inhabitants of the rich community of Highland Park, about 30,000, along Lake Michigan, have mourned the losses. Some potential jurors have been apologized because of their connections with the case.

The leaders of the city canceled the ordinary parade in 2023, opting for a “ride in the community”. The parade was renewed last year on a different route and a memorial for victims.

“Our community is again mentioned by the huge pain and trauma caused by the Highland Park shooting,” said Mayor Highland Park, Nancy Rotering, in a statement before the jury selection. “Our hearts remain with the victims, their families, and with all those whose lives have been changed forever by that devastating day.”

The victims killed at the shooting included Katherine Goldstein, 64 years old; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63 years old; Stephen Straus, 88 years old; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69 years old; And he married the Kevin McCarthy couple, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.

The survivors and their families have submitted several processes, including against the manufacturer of the semiautomatic kid used for shooting and against the authorities they accuse of negligence.