Robert Crimo III, the man responsible for the lives of seven individuals at the mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois on July 4, 2022, has been sentenced for his heinous crimes. On Thursday April 25, three years after the shooting, Crimo III was given life in prison without the possibility of parole. Judge Victoria A. Rossetti sentenced him to seven consecutive life sentences with an added 50 years for all the people he injured.
The Mass Shooting
Robert Crimo III dressed up in women’s clothing and covered his facial tattoos with makeup in order to blend in with the Independence Day Parade crowd. He gained access to the rooftop of the Ross Cosmetics building and opened fire 15 minutes after the parade started. 83 shots were fired before it was over and he fled. He was not apprehended until 8 hours later, and admitted to the officers he was the shooter.
At the time of the Highland Park shooting, Robert Crimo III was 21 years old and used the gun he received from his father at age 19. Illinois law required people ages 18-20 to have a parent or guardian approve their FOID card to obtain a gun. His father, Robert Crimo Jr., signed off on that card and has been held responsible. Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty in 2024 to reckless conduct, acknowledging what he did and spent 60 days in jail along with two years of probation.
In March 2025, Robert Crimo III pled guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each person he killed, and dozens of attempted murder charges. In June 2024, he was expected to plead guilty to 7 counts of murder and over four dozen counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. However, he rejected the deal in front of victims’ family members, showing another blatant disregard for human decency.
Robert Crimo III’s Sentencing
The 24-year-old, Robert Crimo III, did not appear in court on either day of his sentencing, nor did his parents who appeared at most of the prior court proceedings. Judge Rossetti remarked during the sentencing, “This court hopes this sentence brings a sense of justice and an end to the continued horror.”
Victims, survivors, and relatives of those who lost their lives testified on Wednesday and Thursday of Robert Crimo III’s sentencing. It is shameful and he is a coward for not appearing to witness the amount of damage he has caused. “It is clear that he was unable to confront what he had done,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart.
After the sentencing hearing, Rinehart held a press conference saying, “Seven people lost their lives, but this community kept going.” He continued, “There has always been strength in this community and from this group of victims and survivors, and that stands in such contrast to what the offender did.”
Victim Impact Statements
The victims killed were Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.
Many survivors and family members shared the impact Robert Crimo III’s crimes had on their lives. They expressed disappointment that he was not there to hear their statements. One survivor of this horrific tragedy, Liz Turnipseed, said a chapter has been closed on part of her and her family’s life. “I don’t have to think about him anymore, I don’t have to worry about him anymore,” said Turnipseed.
Leah Sundheim, the daughter of Jacqueline Sundheim who was one of the fatal victim’s, said Robert Crimo III offset the world around her when he killed her mother. In court on Wednesday, she addressed Crimo directly saying, “I hope you wake in the middle of the night, gasping air you don’t deserve.”
