Law enforcement officers near the parade grandstand continue their investigation at the scene of a mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration and parade in Highland Park, Ill., on July 5, 2022. The gunman's father has been charged with reckless conduct. Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The father of the suspect accused of shooting and killing seven people and injuring dozens of others at an Illinois Fourth of July parade, pleaded not guilty Thursday to reckless conduct charges.
Robert E. Crimo Jr. is accused of being criminally reckless when he signed his son's firearm owner's ID card while knowing his son had expressed "violent ideations." He was charged with seven counts, one for each person killed during the parade last year.
"We're a little surprised by the indictment. ... I do believe at the end of the day that Mr. Crimo will be vindicated of the charges," Crimo's attorney George Gomez said according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The charges carry a sentence of one to three years in prison, followed by six-month parole and a maximum fine of $50,000.
The charges stem from Crimo's role in helping his then 19-year-old son, Robert Crimo III, apply in 2019 for a firearm owners Identification card in Illinois, which was issued in 2020 and used to acquire the assault-style rifle used in the parade shooting in Highland Park, Ill.
"Robert Crimo Jr., the father, took a reckless and unjustified risk to sign his son's application for a firearm owner's identification card," Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said in December.
In July, Robert Crimo III was indicted on 117 counts related to the mass shooting earlier in the month. He faces 21 counts of first-degree murder, which breaks down to three counts of first-degree murder for each victim who died.
The 21-year-old is also facing 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for each parade victim who was injured by a bullet or shrapnel.