Justice Nears for Highland Park Shooting as Robert Crimo III Faces Sentencing
On Wednesday, the eyes of the Highland Park, Illinois, community—and the nation—will turn toward the courtroom where Robert Crimo III, the man responsible for the July 4, 2022, mass shooting, will be sentenced. After pleading guilty in March to 21 counts of first-degree murder and dozens of attempted murder charges, Crimo’s day of reckoning has come nearly three years after his heinous attack shattered a festive Independence Day parade and forever altered the lives of survivors and families of the victims.
The sentencing will serve as the final act in a case that has been defined by sorrow, trauma, and the haunting legacy of gun violence in America. Survivors and grieving relatives are expected to speak at the hearing, offering statements that may finally provide them a voice in a courtroom that has been the focal point of anguish and accountability.
A Massacre That Changed Highland Park
On a day meant to celebrate freedom and unity, horror erupted in Highland Park when Crimo, then 21 years old, opened fire on the crowd from a rooftop during the annual July 4th parade. Seven lives were lost, and more than four dozen others were injured in a matter of moments, transforming a joyful event into one of the deadliest mass shootings in Illinois history.
Crimo later confessed to the crime and admitted to law enforcement that he wore women’s clothing and used makeup to conceal his identity, blending into the crowd as chaos unfolded. His cold and calculated approach—including pre-planning and an attempted getaway—added to the shock and devastation felt by the community.
The deceased ranged in age from grandparents to parents of young children, some of whom were present and now live with physical and emotional scars that may never fully heal. The image of abandoned strollers and chairs still haunts those who witnessed the carnage, a surreal reminder of how quickly joy was stolen by gunfire.
A Guilty Plea That Brought Some Relief
In March 2025, Crimo changed his plea to guilty, a decision that came after months of uncertainty and emotional toll on the victims’ families. He pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder—three counts per victim—as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. This plea meant that a long and retraumatizing trial would be avoided, sparing survivors and families from having to relive the details in court.
For some, including survivor Ashbey Beasley, the plea brought what she described as an “immense amount of relief.” Beasley, who had fled the parade with her son as bullets rang out, told reporters that knowing Crimo had accepted responsibility and would not be seen in a public trial again was “what we all need.” Her words echoed the sentiment of many in the community—fatigue from years of pain and a desperate desire to move toward healing.
A Family Torn Apart and a Father Held Accountable
The tragedy of Highland Park did not end with the gunman’s capture. In a rare development, Robert Crimo Jr., the shooter’s father, was also held accountable. He pleaded guilty to reckless conduct in 2023 for signing his son’s Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card application. At the time, Crimo III was only 19 and too young under Illinois law to apply for the card on his own.
Crimo Jr.’s actions, though not criminal in intent, raised serious concerns about parental responsibility and the ease with which firearms can fall into the wrong hands. His guilty plea added another layer to the case and served as a stark reminder that the consequences of negligence can be catastrophic.
The Survivors and the Families: A Time to Speak
As sentencing nears, the courtroom will become a place for survivors and victims’ loved ones to share their stories directly with the man responsible. For many, this moment is about reclaiming their narrative and confronting the person who irrevocably changed their lives.
Leah Sundheim, whose mother, Jacquelyn Sundheim, was one of the victims, expressed devastation when Crimo previously backed out of a plea deal in 2024. “All I wanted was to fully grieve my mom without the looming trial,” she said. Now, with sentencing imminent, she and others may finally be able to begin that process.
This hearing is expected to be both emotional and cathartic, a painful but necessary part of the justice system that allows the human impact of the crime to be fully heard and recorded.
A Nation Reflects on Gun Violence and Accountability
The Highland Park tragedy reignited national conversations around gun control, mental health, and youth access to firearms. Crimo had a documented history of disturbing behavior, including previous threats of violence, yet still managed to acquire deadly weapons. His case has become part of a larger national reckoning over the systemic failures that allow individuals at risk of harming others to obtain and use firearms.
Advocacy groups have called for tighter restrictions on FOID card approvals, better mental health screenings, and greater accountability for those who enable access to weapons, especially in households with troubled individuals.
As America once again watches a sentencing for a mass shooting—one of many in recent years—the grief of Highland Park becomes part of the broader national tapestry of communities forever marked by gun violence.
The Final Chapter, But Not the End
When Robert Crimo III is sentenced, it will bring a sense of closure to the legal proceedings—but not to the pain, not to the loss, and not to the enduring fight for safer communities. The scars of July 4, 2022, will remain for the survivors and the families of the victims, but so too will their resilience, unity, and courage.
Highland Park will remember the names of those lost not for the way they died, but for the lives they lived. And as justice is served, the community will begin the next chapter—not of forgetting, but of healing.
May the memory of those lost continue to inspire change, compassion, and a commitment to never letting their story fade into silence.